A group of teenagers in Newark, Ohio including a nameless minor followed Alexis Xanders and her boyfriend, who were walking home one day after school, with a video camera. They were in a dispute about what kind of music they like. The group and the nameless suspect were angry with Xanders because she doesn’t like to listen to Insane Clown Posse, a hip hop group. Xanders listens to alternative and scream-o music.
The group spends the entire video egging the suspect on, telling her to hit Xanders. They say they want to see a fight and they tell the suspect to start one. Xanders and her boyfriend just tell the group to go away. At the end of the video the suspect delivers a punch in the face to Xanders, who is then comforted by her boyfriend.
Xanders was sent the video by one of the students who recorded it. This was a mistake. Xanders posted the video on YouTube and CNN iReport. Six to ten people witnessed the actual incident but thousands of people viewed the video, including a local news reporter who alerted the police department.
The suspect was charged as a juvenile with individual counts of assault and menacing and unlawful restraint. The other teenagers involved are also being investigated for encouraging the punch.
Cyber-bullying is a new and improved version of bullying that involves posting embarrassing or harassing information on the internet or sending it to people through text and instant messages. It’s about using technology to bully an individual. This can have an awful effect on the victim; however, it can also give the victim an advantage that traditional bullying does not. If technology is used, then more people are able to view the information, and it is more likely that people will get involved and stop the bullying. That’s the only thing that can take care of the problem. Someone has to speak up before authorities can step in and take care of it.
Xanders never physically fought back, but she did do something to fight against bullying. After the incident, she has a piece of advice to give to anyone in a similar situation: "Tell somebody and do something about it. Don't just sit there and take it. You can use your words and not your hands."
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