November 13, 2016
Judge Tom
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11 year-old arrested for cyberbullying

student ipad

In October, 2016, a student at Hawthorne Elementary School in Waukesha, Wisconsin, was arrested for cyberbullying after being identified as the source of threatening messages sent to classmates. The fourth-grader used the handle “creepyclown123” in posting his messages interpreted by the police as an attempt to bully or frighten other students.

The student reportedly admitted to posting the messages, and the police are working with juvenile authorities to resolve the case. They conducted an investigation and determined that the posts did not present a credible threat to the students who received them.

The school provided iPads to students with an app on it that had a messaging feature that allowed students to send video messages to each other anonymously. The school is working with the police to remove the app from all school-owned devices.

Cyberbullying is a serious crime. Don’t think you’re too young and nothing will happen to you. This student should be a lesson for all. Think before you post!!

Photo by Lexie Flickinger (Flickr)

 

 

Judge Tom

The Author Judge Tom

Judge Tom is the founder and moderator of AsktheJudge.info. He is a retired juvenile judge and spent 23 years on the bench. He has written several books for lawyers and judges as well as teens and parents including 'Teen Cyberbullying Investigated' (Free Spirit Publishing) and 'Every Vote Matters: the Power of Your Voice, from Student Elections to the Supreme Court' (Free Spirit Publishing). In 2020, the American Bar Association published "Cyberbullying Law," the nation's first case-law book written for lawyers, judges and law students. When he's not answering teens' questions, Judge Tom volunteers with the American Red Cross and can be found hiking, traveling and reading.

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