WITH speculation television personality Charlotte Dawson committed suicide after being cyber bullied, police are reminding Orange residents that you don’t have to be famous to be a victim.
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Canobolas Local Area Command youth liaison officer, senior constable Greg Treavors said cyber bullying was an ongoing problem in Orange, with teenage girls particularly at risk.
“Young girls can become very catty,” he said.
Senior Constable Treavors said cyber bullies often teamed up with their friends to target an individual.
“They sometimes write about someone without actually mentioning their names, and are often careful not to write anything that constitutes an offence,” he said.
Senior Constable Treavors said while some bullying victims turned to the police for help, often schools dealt with the problem in-house.
Police student liaison officer Belinda Bostock regularly visits high schools in the area to talk with students about the dangers of bullying, while Mr Treavors holds talks in primary schools.
“I think parents need to be more savvy about what their children are doing and even if they watch what they do on their computer, they’ve still got their smart phones,” Mr Treavors warned.
“Once bullying was something that was written on toilet walls, but now, thanks to smart phones and computers, everyone can see it.”
tracey.prisk@fairfaxmedia.com.au