We're saddened by a story about a teen who hanged herself in her bedroom after an ex-boyfriend disseminated a nude cell-phone photo of her around their Ohio community. Jessica Logan, 18, was harassed daily by other girls calling her "slut" and "whore" and throwing objects at her.
Making It Through
She finished high school last year and went on national television with her face and voice distorted to warn other girls about the potential consequences of taking naked photos of themselves, a mistake Vanessa Hudgens later made.
But two months later, after attending a funeral for another teen who had committed suicide, Jessica went home and took her own life.
A Common Mistake
An oft-cited survey says that 39 percent of teens have sent similar photos of themselves ... and 15 percent of high-school boys say they disseminate the pics after a breakup.
The "Today" show had an "Internet security expert" on hand to warn of the dangers of "sexting" and urge parents to check their kids' cell phones. But isn't the real problem old-fashioned high-school cruelty?
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Hot Bod, Cold Heart
Alex Rodriguez This skanky Yankee came under fire for getting cozy with a stripper at a Las Vegas Scores (ew), and was rumored to be cavorting with Madonna before the ink was dry on either of their divorce papers. Jerkometer rating: 7
Getty Images
Mario Lopez Who knew that A.C. Slater was such a dirtbag? The buff "Dancing with the Stars" stud reportedly cheated on one lady friend with a Hooters girl, and his two-week 2004 marriage to Ali Landry ended when she learned of his bachelor party antics. Jerkometer rating: 8
Barry King, WireImage.com
Jude Law He may be gorgeous, and nobody can resist that accent. But you know what we can resist? Sleeping with our nanny. Jude? Not so much. He and then-fiancee Sienna Miller eventually broke up, obvs. Jerkometer rating: 7
Sony
Matt Damon In 1998, Matt Damon told Oprah Winfrey during an interview on her show that he was no longer dating Minnie Driver. According to Driver, that was the first she'd heard of their breakup. Jerkometer rating: 2 (He gets points off for good behavior since.)
Universal
Hugh Grant In 1995, Grant was infamously pulled over by L.A. police for lewd conduct with prostitute Divine Brown. Girlfriend Liz Hurley forgave him and even appeared on his arm at the premiere of "Nine Months" days after his arrest. Jerkometer rating: 9 (extra points for dragging Leno into it)
Dave Hogan, Getty Images
David Beckham What is it with married celebrities and the hired help? Although he has always denied it (and OK, so there's no proof), Becks was accused in 2004 of sleeping with then-personal assistant Rebecca Loos. Jerkometer rating: 3 (That shirtless picture inspires our goodwill, OK?)
Milk Processor's of America
Chace Crawford We know two things about the "Gossip Girl" boy: He's a total hottie, and he dumped Carrie Underwood via text. US Weekly reported in April, 2008 that the pair "mutually" parted ways via cellular phones. Jerkometer rating: 1 (hey, we've done it too)
Mark Von Holden, WireImage.com
Charlie Sheen Among other lowlights, Sheen "accidentally" shot ex-fiancee Kelly Preston, spent thousands on madam Heidi Fleiss and symbolically took a chainsaw to his wedding portrait with Denise Richards. Ew. Jerkometer rating: What comes after infinity?
E.J. Camp / CBS
Ethan Hawke We were sad enough when this brainy babe's artsy-smartsy marriage to Uma Thurman ended. But to then shack up and have a baby with the nanny to his kids? For shame! Jerkometer rating: 4
Mirimax / Everett Collection
Ryan Philippe Although never officially confirmed, rumors still swirl that Ryan Philippe's divorce from his all-American wife Reese Witherspoon had a little something to do with an on-set affair with actress Abbie Cornish, now his girlfriend. Hmm. Jerkometer rating: 6
Frank Masi, Paramount
"Sexting" and online bullying may be relatively new, but girls tormenting other girls over their alleged promiscuity has been around forever.
We're glad to hear from the security expert that schools are finally being held liable for bullying (including some cyber-bullying), but we're not sure if that will be enough to keep kids from tormenting each other.
"Mean Girls" has a touching ending, but what can school officials and parents do to help real-life teens make peace? Should we blame technology ... or ourselves?
Tell us! What should parents or administrators do to teach kids about the dangers of sexting? Is it just another rite of passage?
The Most Annoying Co-Workers
Insistent Instant Messenger: No matter how much time or miscommunication could be spared by talking face-to-face, this person insists on talking virtually, via IM or email. If they're a superior and you're not online, they send you an email to ask where you are (meanwhile you're at your desk, ten feet away).
Cycle Sister: This is a person you're not particularly fond of, but for whatever cosmically twisted reason, your daily routine is synched up -- you walk into work at the same time, and from there, you see your Cycle Sister in the bathroom, on your smoke break, at the vending machine, and on the way out. Even if you do like this person alright, the sheer coincidence makes things creepy and awkward.
Mr. Flibble, Flickr
The Get-a-Lifer: This person asks you out to post-work drinks on a regular basis, despite the fact that you always decline. And the one time you went to a party at their house, it ended up being the two of you playing Taboo. The Get-a-Lifer is often the same person who plans meetings at 6 p.m. on Fridays, not realizing that everyone else goes out with their friends on the weekend.
bealluc, Flickr
Listserv Leech: If someone has taken this person's lunch out of the fridge, the entire staff will be notified via the staff listserv, which everyone else uses exclusively for professional communication. Alternately, this person may use the listserv to let everyone know about the lack of toilet paper in the bathroom, a party they're throwing, or to ask who took that package off their desk.
Angry Typist: The Angry Typist pounds on her keyboard with the vigor of someone hitting their ex-boyfriend. The violent clacking leads to many misunderstandings, as this person is often unaware of their problem and is not actually pissed.
.faramarz, Flickr
The Toilet Mouth: You're on the pot midstream (or worse) when the Toilet Mouth strikes up a conversation. This person also likes to chatter at the sink for before and after they go, giving no one in the bathroom privacy to do their business.
Megan *, Flickr
Monday Manic: The coffee hasn't hit your bloodstream yet, and the Monday Manic is flittering about, imbued with an unnatural amount of energy and optimism. They're telling stories about how freaking great their weekend was and so stoked about the work they get to do that day.
Old News Hound: OMG, did you hear that Lindsay Lohan is dating a girl!? The Old News Hound is always the last to know about everything, but the first to belt out at a stale headline at full-volume to their surrounding coworkers.
Rash Revealer:This person has no shame getting on the phone with their doctor, their spouse, their aunt, or their mom to discuss a rash, a yeast infection, and any other personal bodily defect or medical issue.
maydaFUNKbewithu!, Flickr
The Chit-Chat Blaster: If this person catches you in the break room or on your way out of the bathroom, you're done for a half an hour later they're still yammering away about the paint samples they're considering for the livingroom, the deli they ate at for lunch, the meeting the boss called earlier, the diet they're on. The Chit-Chat Blaster also doesn't notice you inching away, and generally lack the ability to pick up social cues.













Comments:
Add a comment
Tuesday 10 March
By baby J
i think parents should be monitoring thier children better. the only time they notice something is when it has already happened instead of looking for warning signs.
i dont think that tweens and teens are responsible enough to have cell phones. i was given a tracfone, no pic messaging, when i started to drive. and that was only because i needed a phone if something happened when driving. if i wanted to use it to talk to friends had i to supply the mins myself, i was expected to hold a job to pay for the bills i made.
my sister is 13. she has had a tracfone since she was 11, because she was the only one at school without one. at 12 my grandma added her to her phone plan, giving her all unlimited messaging. now she has an lg voyager, because everyone at school had cool new phones, even though in a year she went through 7 tracfones and then 5 verizon phones.
parents need to stop trying to help there kids be cool. they are only taught to value material things that way.
my mother was very strict with me growing up. if my friends had a brother that was 2 years younger or any age older i couldnt stay the night. yet now my sister can have a boy spend the night, "but he slept in a different room".
i snuck out at 16 to go down 3 houses to watch movies with my friends. my sister snuck out with 2 friends and walked 5 miles to meet a boy she liked.
i believe parents are becoming to lax on punishments. cell phone companies allow you to see every call and message sent or recieved from a phone on your account. use it.
teach your kids to be respectful of other people. so what if they hate you for a month, your making them be a better person.
Tuesday 10 March
By Andy
You're blaiming the cell phone?
It was the boy freind's indiscrecion and the other people in her conunity that drove her to suicide.
Tuesday 10 March
By Minette
But their friends might so talk to them, often and check up on them too. Teens need supervision, they will try to get things past you, it's the nature of growing up with few exceptions. It always worries me when a 15 year old's mother tells me they trust their kid and know the kid tells them the truth. This is the worst sort of blinder behavior a parent can practice. In every case where I've heard this something, eventually, happens to prove they were wrong.
Tuesday 10 March
By Michael
WOW! i believe nobody under 18 should have a cell phone though.. and as for this exbf of hers should go to prison for murder what he did was uncalled for. she was a pretty girl and at 18 had alot of life to live and ended it for scum! thats just bs i hope her exbf goes to hell.
Sunday 15 March
By GayGuy
This is something these teens do not see before they do it.
They think that these pictures will be kept in the hands of the boyfriend and not distributed, but it is a falacy.
Teens, use better judgement. Don't think these pictures will not get out.
Wednesday 11 March
By smitty
1st of all I will blame the parents of ALL KIDS that do "sexting" because the only way I was able to get a cell phone when I was younger was when I could afford it! no one paid my bills for me! Nowadays you see 8 and 9 year old kids with cell phones! I was still playing in the woods and on the sportsfields when I was that age..its a joke anymore! kids having kids and also making mistakes like this with their phones because they don't have any values or as someone said earlier ther don't understand the consequences of their actions...especially at that age when all your inner circles involve anywhere from 400 to thousands of kids in a school!
Society isn't exactly the same as it was when I was growing up either...and I am still under 30 for the people that want to say I don't know the times and ways of things..BS we allow it to happen because teh parents GIVE their kids these liberties and these are the consequences that come with not knowing the right things to do and not to do and the reactions that will come from them!
My prayers go out to the families and I hope they are able to get through their hard times!
Wednesday 11 March
By pinkthenred
I think she was already depressed and then the death of her friend and attending the funeral made it worse. The fact that the friend commited suicide as well perhaps gave her the excuse she needed in her mind to commit the act herself. That young man I hope he learns from this. Nothing that someone could do would make treating another person like this OK.
Wednesday 11 March
By John Michaels
The loss of life is undeniably tragic, but I can't help but criticize the point that article makes that we need to hold schools liable for bullying, and try to stop bullying, etc etc.
no matter what we do, bullying will be there in one way or another. Hell, I was bullied as a kid. And I don't mean here and there. My parents worked their asses off to send me to a private school, which was consequentially full of rich kids who had nothing better to do than torment me, my hand me down clothes,my lunch, even down to my weight (I was a little chubby as a kid.)
Now of course I've left that behind me, and have grown quite content and happy with myself (thankfully I hit a big growth spurt and leaned out :) haha).
but either way, I would've never experienced the better parts of life if I had commited suicide during the hard parts of it.
I know I've been through many days where I'd rather not be alive (as I'm sure many of you have), but I tough it out.
What we need is not only to do what we can to ease the bullying of high school, but to provide our children with a system of love and support that fosters a respect for self, and a respect for life.
I guarantee you her suicide was not only a result of what was going on at school, but also of what was going on at home.
Don't fix the symptoms. Fix the sickness.
Wednesday 11 March
By Brock
LOL can i say bullshit to everything that linda said, when i have kids im going to teach them not to be an ass to females and do stuff like that so, ya role modles like that do exist, they are just rare. and my parents trust me and i dont do stupid shit so uh yea dont say people are fools to trust there kids, you say you dont trust yours because you are not sure they are accually GOOD, lol and i dont get preasured by anything so no matter what people say if i dont want to do i wont, so im more of a LEADER then a Follower, and my parents know that, thats why they trust me
Wednesday 11 March
By Lois
Cell phones are actually a great thing to have. They're great incase of emergencies and being able to quickly contact your kids.
It's not technology's fault, but the cruelty of people towards one another.
The media shouldn't use "sexting" as a scapegoat, even if it is horrible.
Wednesday 11 March
By MikeyT
They may not have cell phones but they still can do it from a computer. Hello!
Wednesday 11 March
By Bruce Wayne
why because you have no control over them and they are so undisciplined?
Wednesday 11 March
By Tim
This is exactly why my kids do have cell phones
Wednesday 11 March
By tammysue30
the cellphones are not the problem here people!!!! wake up !!! you need to know what your children are doing and who they are doing it with!! we also need to teach our children good moral values as well, and you cant do this when their 15 it needs to start as small children. We also need to realize that children follow in our footsteps so we need to always be positive role models. Everybody makes mistakes when they are young and thats what happened here......this girl made a mistake..... the BIGGEST problem here that needs to be addressed is the TEEN BULLYING!!! there needs to be some very stiff government laws against this and there needs to be punishment for school officials who refuse to take these things serious and sweep them under the rug for children whom they think are"GOOD KIDS" !!! the bullying needs to stop. as adolescents bullying is a very scary thing and young kids cant see past today or tomorrow to realize that this will all go away!! our kids need to know that we are there for them and that if they come to us and tell us they have a problem that we as parents are going to take care of it and not tell them to handle things themselves!!! if my children have a problem at school I'm there no matter what!!! i may be thought of as somewhat of a trouble maker sometimes but i like to nip things in the bud and EVERYONE knows it!!! what it comes down to is.... we need to be better parents... and maybe we need to let OBAMA know that this is an issue that he needs his attention as well!!!!
Saturday 14 March
By Kelly
Im a teenage girl who has a cell phone and i would never do those things it has nothing to do with cell phones people have cameras and other ways of sending pictures. The real problem is teenage girls feeling that they need to do those types of things to make guys like them or to keep guys around. As long as parents raise their children to respect themslves and warn them about the pressures of being a teenager, there is no reason for things like this to happen. And for those who say that they didnt grow up with cell phones and they are fine, well your parents also didnt grow up with cell phones but you probably need one its a different generation with different necessities.
Saturday 14 March
By ryrolover51
really, by your kids not having cell phones means nothing other than if they were out somewhere and something happend they wouldn't be able to call anywhere for safety..
this girl in my old school used her friends cell phone send nude pictures of herself to guys. and they got sent all around the school.
blocking your kids from the outside world will do nothing but harm. they will just get to highschool and begin to rebel. believe me. i've seen it happen to my best friend.
really the thing to do is just guide your kids in the right direction..
Monday 16 March
By gina
my dad just turned my picture messaging off. this can be done by going to your phone store and simply asking for picture messaging to be disabled. let them tezt and call, just take the nudes away.
i'm 15 and i think it's absolutely degrading. i hate going threw my guy friends phones and being like um 'whos bossums are these?' and hearing my bestfriends names uddered from there mouthes.
Tuesday 17 March
By jen
My children have had car accidents, been in accidents, been left standing alone somewhere that their ride did not show up, etc. No, teens didn't have cell phones many years ago, but these days, with crime up, young girls being abducted and taken across the border, etc., I do believe that all teens should have cell phones. That being said, they don't need them to be ON in school. Kids will be cruel whether you have a cell or not, and if she didn't have one, her boyfriend could have taken the picture on his phone. IT is a tragedy but not the fault of cell phones. They do more good than bad.
Thursday 04 February
By Moinica
Cell phones are never the blame but its the parents. The parents should know whats going on with the Cell phone use. Thats why they are called plans. You can go on the internet and check there usage.
Friday 06 March
By -
ITS HER OWN DAM FAULT... where are the morals and the respect for yourself.
Reply