“I’m going to make your life a living hell,” says the person on the other side of the screen.  At this point in time, Jessie Smith* didn’t know whether to fight back or back out.  She had been conversing with this person on the other side of the screen for several weeks now, but it was starting to get too out of control.  Smith made friends with this person several weeks ago, but now their whole relationship had been turned upside-down.

According to e! Science News, three in four teenagers say that they had been bullied at least once online in a 12-month period.  Many teens who become a victim to online harassment think that they are the only ones, but in reality hundreds of teens are being harassed each day.

Internet harassment can be a very serious matter and it can often harm the victim being harassed.

“Internet harassment is so dangerous because it is much easier to do at a higher rate, a more violent rate,” health teacher Melissa Hobick said. “Calling people names face to face is harder than over the internet.  Who is being harassed and how they handle it can be destructive as well, girls may become depressed and suicidal because they think that people are talking about them.”

Over the past few years, internet harassment has been becoming a more serious matter for teens all over the U.S.  This is because for one, the internet has become much more popular and it has been drawing teens towards it.  Not only has the internet become much more popular though, but also because teenage girls have been committing suicide as an effect of being harassed.

“We have had minor things happen, but we address them quickly,” police officer John Zlatic said.  “RCCEEG who works with the FBI in Clayton, harassment falls under their group.  If something happens we hand it over to them and they take it more seriously.”  The stories about girls killing themselves have affected the choices that people at CHS make when they are being harassed.

“When I was told my life was going to be made a living hell, I went through sort of a depression and it’s hard not to have those thoughts,” Smith said.

Over the past few years many people believe that internet harassment has been getting worse.  “Since it’s not face to face, you can’t see people’s reaction, so it’s easier to do and there are fewer consequences,” Hobick said.  As an effect of internet harassment not being face to face, more and more people are taking part in this.

This problem has gotten way out of control and must come to an end.  However, Smith believes that it won’t be stopped.  “I honestly don’t think it can be,” Smith said.  “The only way that it can be stopped is if everyone uses everything as it was meant to be.”

Because of the girls who have been hurting themselves, we hope that there can be some sort of sympathy that the people who are hurting others will stop.

“I hope it’s making them think twice about what they post on the internet.” Smith said.

*Name has been changed