Anonymous Unmasks Alleged Cyber Bully

One of the most tragic news stories in recent days involves 15-year-old Amanda Todd, who committed suicide after being bullied online. Now, 'hacktivist' group Anonymous has attempted to expose the person it feels was responsible for Todd's death.

It's believed Todd committed suicide after being bullied by a man who posted unseemly photos of her online. According to reports, the man even sent the pictures to Todd's friends.

That prompted Todd to release a YouTube video indicating that the photo had completely ruined her reputation, making it impossible for her to make or maintain friendships at school.

Accused Bully Exposed Online

In a post on pastebin.com, someone claiming to represent Anonymous posted pictures of a British Columbia man said to have been involved in bullying Todd. The post alleges that the man demanded Todd supply him with pictures of herself.

The Anonymous representative then listed the man's name, age, and street address. The same man is currently facing unrelated assault charges in British Columbia.

When contacted by news agencies about the post, someone claiming to speak on behalf of Anonymous reportedly had this to say:

"We generally don't like to deal with police first-hand, but were compelled to put our skills to good use protecting kids...Ironically, we have some good people in Vancouver who brought this to our admin's attention. It's a very sad story that affects us all." (Source: nydailynews.com)

Police say they are investigating the "tip" though haven't laid any charges on the man pointed out by Anonymous.

Cyber Bullying Continues to Confound Educators

Todd's death has caused an international stir, leading government and educational administrators to re-evaluate the efficacy of social programs designed to help young people cope with cyber bullying.

In Canada, there have been calls to create a national strategy for preventing this kind of bullying from taking place. (Source: edmontonjournal.com)

However, the highly impersonal nature of cyber bullying is proving difficult to confront. Without teachers or classmates around to see its impact, many victims continue to suffer in silence.