Cases of Cyber-bullying.

Cyber-bullying is not just a problem in Canada.  There have been reported cases throughout the world, including such countries as Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States.(11)  However, probably one of the most notable cases worldwide is that of the “Star Wars Kid”, Ghyslain Raza, of Trois-Rivières, Quebec.

 In 2003 Raza videotaped himself acting out a Star Wars fight scene.  The tape, which was never intended for public viewing, was obtained by fellow students and uploaded to the internet.  The video clip was downloaded and viewed by millions.  Tormented by students at his school, and humiliated by the images available on the web, Raza suffered from depression, and eventually dropped out of school.(12)  In response, Raza’s parents sued the families of the three students held responsible for publicizing the video.  In July 2006, an out-of-court settlement was reached totaling about $351,000.(13) The video however, was never removed from the internet and has been copied, modified and posted on many other sites..

Other cases throughout Canada have been documented, including two cases reported on CBC News. One case was of a Saskatchewan teenage girl who was videoed while being beaten by two other female students.  The video was uploaded to the internet and viewed by other students at her school.(14) The second case was of an Ontario boy who had a cruel web page created about him by other students that made claims that he was pedophile.(15)