This is a case where the Internet led to innappropriate behavior. The University of Education should treat the suspect like it would any other case of vandalism or thef. The person responsible needs to be held accountable for her actions. She should be prosecuted and receive the same punishment as anyone else who commited these crimes. The punishment should be no more or less severe than it would be for anyone else.
Juicy Campus should not be held responsible for what happened to Natalie's belongings. Yes, it is true they may have provoked the act, but Juicy Campus didn't key or steal Natalie's clothes. Someone else did. Juicy Campus did not tell this person to what she did. The person responsible is the person who commited the act.
Social networking can become cyber-bullying. In this case, I think it did, unless these allegations are true. It becomes cyber-bullying when it affects someone in a negative way. Natalie was hurt and embarrassed when she found out what people were saying about her. It's bullying without knowing the bully. Had her accuser told Natalie what she said on Juicy Campus, it would be bullying as well. In my opinion, the restrictions for cyber-bullying are the same as they are in person. You have to ask yourself this: "If I said this to a person's face, would I be bullying?" When you answer "yes" to that question, you are cyber-bullying.
I definitely believe Natalie's situation could have been prevented. She is also responsible for her actions. Had she not posted that picture of herself in the cat costume, no one would have known about it, and no one would have made assumtions. Natalie is in control of what she puts out online for the world to see. You have to ask yourself: "Does this photo or post protray me the way I want to be portrayed?" If the answer is "yes" then you are probably safe to post it, but if the answer is "no" you should keep it off the Internet. You can't control what other people write, but you do control your online image.
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