Mum names and shames daughter's cyber-bully
December 28, 2013, 11:30 am
A Canberra mother has named and shamed her daughter's cyber bully after repeated online taunts.
Medical receptionist and mother Anne-Marie Schmidt posted a screen-shot to her Facebook page of the bully's Instagram account in an effort to encourage parents to pay attention to their childrens' online activity, The Daily Telegraph reports.
"Question – does anyone like Mackenzie? She's being a b-tch to me, check out my photo of all my friends … She commented on it. I HATE HER AND I DON’T CARE IF ANYONE TELLS HER!!! HeHe," the girl's Instagram post read.
The Telegraph reports a number of other children, some who are mutual friends of the pair, replied and agreed.
One girl even wrote, "She is a b*tch alright".
Mrs Schmidt said bullies had been taunting her daughter Mackenzie for some time, and she had been 'inconsolable' when she first saw the negative online remarks.
While Anne-Marie did not condone getting involved in verbal, schoolyard disputes she said she drew the line at internet trolling.
"Too many parents wouldn't even know accounts their kids have got and what they post online," she said.
"At school you might take a step back but this is cyberspace and my daughter is under 16. There is an onus on parents to take responsibility and take control."
While a knowledge of childrens' online activities is recommended, many child psychologists advise against parental involvement.
"This is fraught with danger. You are responding to the bully, and that is not the right thing to do," Dr Michael Carr-Gregg told The Telegraph.
"It's like feeding the trolls, and all that happens is that they step it up a notch," he said.
