American Morning
'How to kill Piper'
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/05/26/piper.youtube2.art.jpg caption="An eleven-year-old girl is the victim of extreme cyber bullying in a video posted on YouTube.com."]
From CNN’s Bob Ruff
Who on earth would post a video on YouTube on how to kill a 6th grade girl?
Turns out… it would be her classmates.
The 11 and 12-year-old girls are students at the Elk Plain School of Choice in Spanaway, Washington. The video, which the girls made away from school, details the “Top Six Ways to Kill Piper.” (YouTube has since removed the video.)
Their suggested methods? Everything from using a gun on Piper, to pushing her off a cliff, to forcing her to commit suicide by hanging from a tree.
The girl, Piper Smith, and her mother are angry and going public. Watch "American Morning" Wednesday for an interview with Piper and her mom.
Earlier Piper told CNN affiliate KING5-TV that “It really, really hurts my feelings. I mean, if somebody hated me that much just to make a video about me like that, it would make me feel really bad.” Her mother, Beth Smith, was “horrified. I would hope to find kids making jokes, and it wasn’t. It was death.”
So far the local Piece County, Washington Sheriff’s Department has not pressed charges against the girls.
The school district issued a statement, which says that the offending girls have been disciplined and that they have “expressed their remorse.” The school cited privacy reasons for neither releasing the names of the students nor the specifying the type of punishment
The case reminds New York psychotherapist Karol Ward of the movie “Mean Girls”, in which the cliquish “Queen Bee” girls terrorize less popular students. “Adolescent girls,” she says, “often get into a pack mentality... it’s got a deep psychological root to it, but it also just has the general view of, well, that person is different from me so I’m going to reject them.”
While the Spanaway, Washington case is unusual, cyber bullying and other forms of bullying are not. The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) released a survey in 2007 stating that more than four in 10 teens experienced some form of cyber-bullying in the previous year, and that it’s more prevalent among teen girls.
To attack the problem, the NCPC has set up a contest for PSA’s that urge teens not to cyber bully other students.
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I believe that the girl should have charges brought aginst them. They are a nemis to society. How dare they talk about killing someone and even have the nerve to put this on youtube. I think that their parents cannot control their children. What a sick topic to even discus with another person. The police should arrest them in school and their parents should be arrested also. There is no way this should be put hush hush.
I also think that the parents should be sued. In Indiana if your child doesn't go to school the parents are arrested. This act is worst than that. i don't feel sorry for what ever justice is done aginst them. They are terrible and mean children. This behavior should be rectified now before they get worst. Maybe next time they will kill somebody. Do not let this act become unattended to.
I think that this should be taken very seriously. I mean, if this were to happen to an adult, where a video was sent to them of how they should be killed by someone who was harassing them, that person would probably file a police report or slap the harassing party with a law suit for emotional trauma or threat of bodily harm.
I'm 34 years old and I remember being harassed and bullied, just like anyone else can probably remember from their school days, but this has been taken to the next level. Making a joke of how someone should die just isn't funny. If these girls who made the video are gutsy enough to do this, what else are they capable of? And how can anyone say that Piper's Mom is overreacting? Would any sane parent react in a passive way if this happened to their child?? I think not!! As a parent myself, I would insist that those girls be expelled or at the very least, suspended or made to go to summer school! Obviously the girls who are bullying her are insecure themselves and can't handle that Piper is a strong and confident little girl. Maybe the parents of those girls should sit down with their daughters for a heart to heart and find out what's going on inside their heads! I would be scared to death if I found out that my daughter was involved in an incident like this. I would wonder what the hell I was doing wrong and do some serious soul searching and praying!
I hope that Piper becomes stronger from this incident and learns that whatever doesn't destroy her can only make her stronger. Piper, if you read this, stay strong, Sweetie, and don't let ANYONE bring you down. There's always going to be someone who doesn't like you, but when it all comes down to it, it's themselves they don't really like. They're just taking out their frustration on you. Hang in there and you'll end up being the successful one!
My comments obviously touched a raw nerve with some people. I didn't mean for my words to downgrade the effect bullying can have on children and I certainly am not condoning it. What I am suggesting is that we teach our children how to deal with such situations themselves (with the parents' advice support, etc) so that they can be fully functioning adults when they grow up.
And again, IN THIS SPECIFIC INSTANCE, I think it is difficult to make a rationale argument that the video that was prepared, while totally inappropriate and mean-spirited, was a precursor to any actual violence.
They actually should have brought the bullies who did it onto the news report, and then asked them WHY they did it in the first place and watch them try to come up with a decent response
Maybe a little public humiliation will get them actually thinking about what they did
All this bullying is just going to lead to another 'Virginia Tech' type incident...
Though, unfortunately, the victims may be 11 and 12 year olds this time.
Especially since it's not that hard for a child to find a parent's/sibling's gun and bring it to school
(remember what happened with 14 year old Brandon McInerney?)
When will the parents AND the school systems -learn- that harsher punishment is what we need here!?
(and suspension isn't nearly good enough; it's just a free day off of school, how exactly is that punishment? especially to a child)
Totally agree! Add some supervised community service too.
Punishment should be all of summer vacation in house arrest with no contact with there friends of any kind
If a 14 yr old girl can be legally punished for sexting, then these three girls should be legally punished for posting a video on youtube, showing how they want to kill another human being.
If I were Piper's mom, I'd be horrified as well. I'll bet a room full of lawyers will be knocking at your door to represent you & your daughter in this horrible action. Those girls & their parents will be saying many many prayers at night. Best of luck to you both. Piper, you're in my thoughts and prayers.
This message is for Jack , 11:31am today, (see Below)
What would you say if the girl was your daughter or sister?
Would you stand by and watch?
I guess the 3 young students who killed themselved because of bullying don't matter to you either.
Get real!
Jack, while I understand your point of view, I vehemently disagree with you. By taking the "everyone is making way to much of this" attitude, I'd have to ask you where would you draw the line? Zero tolerance is the only way to go. Noone is asked to make a judgement call every time someone acts, speaks or shows aggressive behavior. While I also feel that the punishment should fit the crime and all aggressive behavior cannot be handled in the same way, turning the other cheek in instances like this sends the WRONG message.
To Lisa's point about learning to spell, please note that you have a mismatched third person pronoun. Anyone (singular) - they (plural).
I think parents should be held accountable for their children who bully.
Jack – your comment about this not being serious is ludicrous! Have you ever heard of Columbine High School in Colorado and Thurston High School in Springfield, Oregon? Well, Jack – my children were at Thurston High school during that shooting and I can tell you that the boy that was the shooter was bullied.
Get a clue people. Until we start being parents and teaching our children right from wrong and what consequences are, we will continue to see this kind of stuff. My kids knew that for every action there was a consequence. You choose the action, you choose the consequence.
The biggest problem we have today is that people want to have children, but they don't want to raise them. They want someone else to do it while they are at work. When they are at home with their kids, they make sure they have every kind of technology and are allowed to use it unsupervised, so they don't have to be bothered, and can rest up from their hard day at the office.
We were involved with our kids and we have two responsible, honest, hardworking, strongly principled adults who are making a good way in the world and know that they have responsibilities to society and themselves and their families. It wasn't easy – I worked, as did my husband, but we managed to be PARENTS first and that's the key.
Hang up your cell phone and raise your kids!
Jack:" The parents are making much too big of a deal of this. " Wrong JACK! Not too many years ago in Kitsap County, across the Puget Sound from King County, there was a little boy who was killed by classmates. The boy lived on Port Gamble Road, not far from my home. I don't live in Washington State anymore. I am sure that the King County Sheriff's office is "right on top" of any criminal activity. Are you kidding? Washington State has very specific laws governing communicating a threat on the internet. I am so surprised that they "can't" do anything. Sounds typical of King County!
If I were Pipers Parents and Piper I would Sue The Parents!
Yes, let's blame the school, after all the video was made on school property wasn't it...??? Oh that's right, it was't made at school!! It was made at home!! HOME...where the parents should be in charge! But let's just blame the school, and the police, and anyone, except the parents of the kids who made the video AT THEIR HOME. After all, we expect everyone to raise our kids, so why not just sue everyone when they do stupid thing like this!
The girls that did this to Piper should be prosecuted for making death threats. Pipers parents need a good lawyer to see this through. Their behavior needs to be swiftly and harshly punished.
I agree with the actions she took...stand up to them and expose them
for what they are...Bullies, its sad that the only way these girls can
bond together is by hurting another childs feelings..or possibly more.
I dont think this should be dealt with lightly, make an example of these
girls and let it be known that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.
This is really just a smaller version of what is happening in our schools across the nation..Its scary to think about it. Stand up and take action against students who do these type of things and dont take it lightly.
Let us not forget Columbine or what happened in other schools. We
need to protect our children and make schools safe and expell the ones who are there to exploit or harm our children. Zero tolerance , no exceptions , we should not have to worry about their safety at school we should demand it . We send our children to school to get an education not be preyed upon by bullies.
Nothing will change tougher measures are taken until parents are held liable for the action of their children. I agree that there are a lot of unruly children in our society that may be beyond the control of parents, and then that is when our justice system should step in and set examples.
A couple of months ago, here in Atlanta, a middle school student hanged himself in his closet because of what kids were calling him at school. Surely only his emotional state was endangered by this bullying, but it was enough for him to commit suicide. Shame on the schools, shame on the police, and shame on anyone who says emotional abuse is not as serious as physical bullying.
Jack, you're clueless.
Bill K, I was spanked bare handed when I was a child and I turned out all right.
What a mess we are in!
"jack", you obviously have no first-hand experience on the matter at hand. do yourself a favor and shut up. All that Piper had to deal with is emotional stress, so she should buck up and "Get over it"? I suspect you were one of those bullies back in your school days. And you hurt some people more than you can even imagine. Long lasting hurt. One day you'll have to deal with that.
What does an 11 or 12 year old need with a computer, blackberry, iphone, etc?....what on earth do they need to be making you-tube videos for, or texting eachother 24/7? Kids these days are given to much and schools are so afraid of lawsuits that they won't do anything. Mom and dad, regardless of whether one or two work at the same time need to monitor their kids more closely. Give a kid a book and a pad and pencil....my parents used to cut the cord on the tv and make us go out and play or READ...perish the thought! Bullying is bullying is bullying....cyberspace or otherwise....Mom or dad, why is your child being so mean to another child?...kids only repeat what they are taught....and learn from example. The school needs to get a backbone and do more, and the teachers need to be better trained on dealing with these situations. The parents of these bullies need to take all the fun techno stuff away from their children, block their computers and find something better for them to do, clearly, they have to much time on their hands, and the parents are to busy to deal.
I don't think cyber bullying really matters that much. Besides, with C.O.P.P.A., kids under thirteen aren't allowed to register on You Tube or social networking sites. Kids just use the internet like they do words, I don't know how many times that I got "death threats" from kids in my grade at that age. It's not like they'll actually kill Piper, now is it? I don't really give anything about it.
Now, sick men that want to actually rape and kill tween/teen girls on the internet is another thing.
The only thing worse, I could think of, is knowing I can still watch the video even on CNN, if it is so disturbing, why would it be ok if we see it? Would we not be partaking in the bullies roll? That is, if we give further attention to it, do we not glorify it in some way. What sane person wants to share in the torture of another human being. Are we not taught the principle to Hate what is Bad?
I appreciate CNN for it's candid honesty at times, but news agencies need to know when and where to draw the line. More and more I see the Shock and Awe factor. If this was a video of an actual murder or rape, would we be inclined to want to watch it too? So why start with this step. It is bad enough what the young girl did to Piper. May she receive all the help she needs, and move on with life.
Geez, I was bullied like crazy in grammar school. I was skinny, big black-rimmed coke-bottle glasses; I'm alive and fine. Girls will always bully no matter what forms of propaganda they have to use.
the school and the parents of the perps should be very ashamed of what their kids did, and what the school did not do. the school apparently did not do much at all except to CYA. Same with the police.
so these administrators, teachers, police and parents should ask themselves..."what if your kid was the victim? what you you do?" Golly, wonder if it will at least go on their famous "permanent record"?
Listen guys... I was never a bully. Honestly! I was a pretty nice kid as a matter of fact.
While I believe that these kids should probably get a few nights of detention or whatever the school decides on, I still think that everyone is making too big of a deal out of this particular situation. If, after watching this video, you HONESTLY believe that these girls had an actual intent to cause physical harm to Piper... we'll have to agree to disagree (and you are crazy).
I'm concerned that, rather than allowing kids to solve their own problems within their group of peers, parents are running up to them to protect them from every perceived "threat" that could possibly cause hurt feelings or subject their children to ridicule. Kids that grow up this way will turn out to be ineffectual adults who can't function in a complex world where not everyone is going to be "nice."
Also... I can PROMISE you that Piper's social life is worse now than it was before her mother created this spectacle.
It is an interesting article. My son was a victim of cyber bullying himself as he was very different fron the rest of the crowd of the exclusive private school for highly gifted he was student of. It was a school with caring teachers where kids were busy studying with huge parental involvement. Unfortunatelly, parents often times help the situation, it is not so much kids, it's uman overall to feel tha someone is different and is a scapegoat. Cyber bullying as a phenom that gets more widespread and than neither parents nor society at large know how to deal with, since there is no precedent established. So, this mom is doing the right thing (for the society at large) : she is establishing a precedent. It should be clear established rule in the society with definitions and examples that cyber bullying should not happen. Also, the responsibilities should be placed on the parents anyway. For the immediate action: the girl SHOULD change the school if such an opportunity exists. The principal and teachers at the school she is attending currently (who are in loco parenti at the very moment the girls step on the school ground by law) SHOULD take some courses in ethology or behavioral psychology since they apparently do not know how to handle the situation. Otherwise the situation will repeat itself. There were cases when eleven year olds would kill other kids of their age due to inmaturity and lack of parental response. SO the argument that mom makes too much noise is invalid. She does the right thing. Still, for the kid on the future action: move her somewhere else, and pusrsue the case. Move the whole family if not possible to change schools or homeschool with individual plan.
I have to say that I can definitely agree with Jack. Obviously, Piper was not subjected to anything more than emotional trauma. That makes this issue significantly less severe, and consequently being completely blown out of proportion.
"Let’s let them fight it out like kids used to, let us discipline more and better at home…including SPANKING appropriately [spell-checked, try it sometime!]..."
Could you define "SPANKING"? Is it with a bare hand, what if I have small hands, can I use a long-handled spatula? How about a thin belt?
And what about "fight it out"? What if the other kid is really big, can mine bring a knife? What if we know the other kid has access to guns, should we go out and get one for our kid too?
But sure, then when these abused kids get older, they'll know how to solve their problems with other people in a calm, cool civilized manner...
I feel like there has always been bullying. Why is cyber-bullying any different?
Seriously, who didn't hate middle school?
When did we turn into such wusses? Is there anything anymore that doesn't intimidate, threaten, abuse, marginalize, offend, or traumatize someone. When I was a kid this would have been laughed off. Pitiful. How did we become such sensitive bozos?
Jack – spoken like a true bully. Your sit back and do nothing attitude is exactly what bullies hope their victims will do. They want to be able to continue their torture without any consequences. I don't care what age you are, you don't 'joke' about killing anyone. Posting a video of that sort, no matter how ridiculous and childish the video/drawings may look, should have very serious consequences. What this girls has done, with coming out and sticking up for herself, should be seen as an example of what all victims of bullies should do. These bullies need to be exposed and they need to be handed their punishments.
Jack,
That's your positon, "ha ha, we were obviously joking making a video of how to best kill you?" Girls will be girls?
The fact that anyone would htink this was in any way appropriate is the problem. The mother is behaving properly. So, if I ran around your school when you were a teenager, singing a song abotu "how to best kill jack" that would be okay, because.. obviously I was joking?
I'm sure you were a bully in school.
This is not anything new; in fact it is a shame that more attention is not drawn to this growing issue. I probably hear about these kinds of incidents more than most people as I work for SpectorSoft, the leader in Internet monitoring software. Most parents usually find out after the bullying has occurred, but if one uses monitoring software like Spector pro or eBlaster you can get a heads up to what your children are doing and seeing on the Internet. That ounce of prevention is certainly worth a pound of cure.
Another growing epidemic is traditional school yard bullying (fights etc..) being recorded and uploaded to YouTube.
First thing the "mean girls" need to do is to learn from their mistake. what a better way than to have them take some type of course during the summer. Additionally, killing any Internet access at home [and warning not to use it outside the house]. Finnaly a public apology in front of the full school – maybe have them speak about their actions elsewhere at other schools as well.
I'm hoping someone told them in a couple of years ago, they could be tried for uttering death threats and treated as an adult.
@Jack: You sure those death threats were not a threat? How can you be sure that it won't happen? You don't know what's in their mind.
Vega... you made a conscious decision to live outside the social norms of your school. Good for you, but if people react poorly to your outlandish styles, you can't expect everyone else to protect you.
You can't dress in ways that make you stand out from the rest of the school and then expect the school administration to come to your rescue when people "notice" that you are different. If you want to be individualistic and wear black eyeliner and a hoody (as if you weren't trying to make a statement... pleeeaaase) you need to accept the fact that not everyone is going to accept you. Just the way it is. Welcome to real life.
Jack I got question for you, Have you ever been through this or your children have been through this. If not then you do not know how it feels.
If you not getting the help from anywhere then the best thing is that to do "tit for tat " which is not very good thing to do.
The video was funny though.
Elk Plain School of Choice and the Bethel School District were informed of this video nearly three weeks ago. Immediately after we were notified, we contacted police because the video was not made at school. We also appropriately disciplined all of the students involved. These students have been punished and have expressed their remorse.
I remember I was bullied a lot in my middle school years because I didn't want to wear whatever the latest brand was and because I took a particular interest in eyeliner. It didn't seem to matter that I wore colorful clothes and jeans, because I wore eyeliner and occasionally a black hoody, I was deemed a witch. The principles were never any help. They just would tell me things such as "Well it's your fault." and "If you would dress like them this wouldn't happen to you."
The school district was never any help either. This school system runs itself like a government it's so large. It discredits local papers and even influences whether your child has to participate in that act of "bussing" to promote diversity. Bussing, for those who don't know is where the child is sent to a school that they live no where near, simply for diversification. At least that's what this school system uses it as.
It's been approximately six years now and as I (thankfully) leave this school system, I can see no change has been made nor will it be. The students just continue to get worse with each new class and generation.
The parents are making much too big of a deal of this. The "video" is ridiculous and it is obvious that no real threat ever existed. Piper's parents are making this much worse on her by calling all of this attention to her. She's going to be forced to transfer schools. Can kids be cruel? Yes. Was anything other than Piper's feelings ever at risk of being hurt? No. Get over it.
The mother is acting like she truly believes that the other girls were really contemplating MURDERING her daughter. Everyone reading this knows that the mother did not truly believe that... she is just being overly dramatic about this and making a spectacle of her and her daughter.
Piper, you are beautiful and brave. You did the right thing and you will be fine. Good luck and hold your head high.
This is what comes of not having corporal punishment in homes and schools. If these children had been spanked when smaller, for bullying, disrespecting others, etc..it would not have gotten to this level. If schools were allowed to do more than suspend the kids to home (where they all have cable, video game systems, internet, computers, etc..basically to a place of fun), like paddling, washing mouths out with soap, etc...then it wouldn't happen either. It is because of parents being to lax with their kids at home, and us being to litigous and politically correct of a society that these problems have come about.
Let's let them fight it out like kids used to, let us discipline more and better at home...including SPANKING appropriatly, and let us discipline better and more appropriatly at schools...then this bullying will not get as far out of hand as it has.
Teach them manners and consequences, and they will grow up to be proper, polite adults.
i hope you can read this piper
my sister went through similar things through middle school and a very prestigious high school because the girls were jealous of her. peole will continue to try to tear you down as a person throughout life because you are good looking, talented, or for some other reason. My best sugestion to you is to use any emotions you feel from it to motivate yourself to do positive things for yourself and ALL those arround you. Dont let the anger build up inside you, this will not lead to anything good. Its sad to have to tell you this but get used to it you will run into jerks your entire life.
I find it absolutely disgusting that the school district and police department in Piper's area have done so little to insure her safety. If even one of those slides on youtube had contained a picture of violence on school grounds, the school would have been forced to take action under zero tolerance, regardless of the fact that these girls are only 11. Also, citing there youth as a valid reason for the lack of reprocussions is a complete cop-out. These girls pose a real threat to at least one student. Piper should not have to fear for her life while trying to get an education! Shame on those girls, the school district, and the local police department!
I wish that people who want to make a point by commenting here, would learn to spell. It is hard to take anyone seriously if they do not know how to spell correctly.
As far as the girls, I am glad that Piper stood up to the girls, I just hope it doesn't make her situation worse. I wish there was something we could do about the hatred that is spreading like wildfire to every school in the nation.
Bullying/We need Laws
I was watching Oprah Wednesday. Her show was on Bullying, I was bullied as a child, because I was over weight. 3 children have died within the last month , by hanging . There was a Doctor on her show telling one boy her needs to speak strong and loud to his offenders. I believe there are several degrees of bullying,
The leader then the follower, the on looker that says nothing, then the on looker that screams when the assault gets out of hand.
I believe one of these degrees will kill one day because they love to hurt. I was in dc a while ago, and a fight was flaring up between 2 girls over a boy. They fought ,was separated then told to go home. That one girl got others to take part, went to that girls house and tore it up, they were like wild animals braking windows, trashing the house. There is a girl that I know of right here in that same trouble. All the school does is talk to her and try to see who is telling the truth.
This girl wont even come to her church, because she is afraid. We need laws to try to stop these little innocent vermin from thinking they can get away with it Because of age, if they are under a certain age, they get a slap on the hand.
These children need to know society will not condone abuse weather you are a child or not, because someone is being affected by their callousness. Someone is getting weaker within their life, at the expense of some child sick ego.
Laws need to be put in effect. Please don’t let another child be a notch on some bullies belt. or the first kill. Or the start of an adult killer, because bullies grow-up and bully as adults. Some perfect their kill on our children leaving them unable to be real adults, or the bullied strike back, like Columbine, Va Tech.
We as parents when our children come to us, we need to believe that there is such a thing as bullying, Some parents don’t believe their sweet boy or girl could do that. Give me a brake Come on parents we need to step up help our bullied children, to be able to walk the halls of that school, don’t take their fight back attitude from our children, by saying they shouldn’t fight back, give them a way to feel strong, get help from a individual a part from school. Many times the counselor is so into school they don’t see the grey area of life. We don’t want our children being tormented inside day and night thinking there is nothing anyone can do, or give them such a loneliness they pick up a gun, We got to stop saying I’m too busy, and stand there and listen to our children’s frustration s. Before you are the one standing at that Casket wishing you had just stopped and listened. By: Patricia Robinson-5/01/09-7am
Punishment should be all of summer vacation in house arrest with no contact with there friends of any kind