The negative impact of Bebo is wide-spread. The administrators of this site are irresponsible.

Already there have been two reported suicides that I know of, as a consequence of cyberbullying taking place on Bebo.

Of course those kids lacked resiliance; however, it’s the phenomenon of cyberbullying, and the forums that provide a venue for cyberbullying, that must be considered as significant contributors to cyberbullying.

It’s not only students, but teachers’ that experience appalling abuse contributed to cyberbullying stemming from sites such as Bebo.

Teachers’ have experienced shocking days, that they cannot fathom, until they later discover students have spent the night before participating in hateful exchanges about them. Sometimes parents’ are involved.

Here’s a direct quote from psychologist, Laurie Zelingerc(source: Munro, I. (2007) Frail egos caught in killer net, The Sydney Morning Herald Weekend Edition):

‘…understanding adolescent behaviour meant understaning how their brains develop, which is in a predictable pattern from back to front. The cerebellum, located in the back, houses the amydala, which is the seat of emotion. As such, adolescents often experience rage and fear, since the area is among the first areas to develop. The front part of the brain, the last to develop, controls decision-making, interpreting emotions and executive decisions, rendering teens biologically incapable of making mature decisions in some contexts.

Between the ages of 12 and 16, the pre-frontal cortex also shows decreased grey matter, thereby further limiting the capability of the child to make sound decisions.

Then puberty rushes in, bringing an onslaught of hormones seeking excitement and arousal. This combination of late front brain development, with its poor decision-making skills, and hormonal influences, often leads to risk-taking behaviour and intense emotional involvement.

Teens can thus be easily influenced, intensely reactive, and especially vulnerable [read suicidal if being bullied AND too-agreeable if taking part in the bullying] to the opinions of their peers.’