November 1, 2016
Judge Tom
1

Pre-teens cyberbully with naked photos

caution children

8-year-old boys in a school community in West Auckland, New Zealand, were discovered harassing classmates with nude photos secretly taken of girls getting undressed in school camps. The pictures were posted online which brought the local police into the investigation.

One official commented that the boys said “silly things” with the photos and probably didn’t realize “what they are actually saying. He added that the emphasis will be to educate the youth about behaving differently. Some counselors reported children as young as seven calling help lines for support against cyberbullying. Girls between 11 and 14 were seeking help over sexual exploitation.

It is suspected that many of the cyberbullies were copying older siblings, celebrities and other media figures. Sexting is an extensive and growing problem, as well as sextortion. New Zealand’s Harmful Digital Communications Act will be used to deal with older offenders. In the meantime, the pre-teens should expect visits from school and law enforcement officials, including their parents.

For 24/7 help in New Zealand, contact Kidsline at 0800-543-754, or Youthline at 0800-376-633. The Suicide Crisis Helpline can be reached at any time at 0508-828-865.

Photo by Mark Turnauckas (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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1 Comment

  • Piroska
    August 23, 2021 4:37 am count( 0 )

    These cases illustrate how cyberbullying continuously evolves with new technology. It’s imperative for families and friends to recognize the signs of cyberbullying and self-harm and give much-needed support to victims. The first step parents can take is to have an open and honest line of communication with your children. Talk through the history of cyberbullying and what it looks like now. The technology conversation is ongoing and constantly evolving, and speaking regularly about important issues like cyberbullying, sexting, and online predation is important.
    Dear Piroska: Thank you for your comments. We appreciate your advice to our readers. -Judge Tom at askthejudge.info