Amanda Todd: A Victim of Sexual Abuse not Bullying

Introduction

The twinkling laughter, sparkling eyes and innocent smiles are shattered due to the heinous act of abusing a little child. Daily several children are exploited and become the subject of abuse. The vulnerability of children makes them an easy target to strangers and even their family members. Child abuse has become a growing concern for every country. It is not just a family or an individual's problem; it is a problem for the entire world. Abuse is an ongoing process, if a child is abused, he is likely to abuse his/her own children when he grows up, unless he acquires proper counseling, the process of abuse goes on and on. It is a never- ending process which is why it is important to stop this monstrous crime. The internet has increased the possibilities of the child abuse. There are numerous individuals who lure the children in their traps while hiding behind the anonymity of the internet. The most grave and recent example of the dangers of online abuse is the case of Amanda Todd. Many people assumed that bullying was the cause of Amanda Todd's suicide. In fact, the cause was sexual abuse. By calling her suicide the result of bullying, the press minimizes the impact of the serious sexual abuse which Amanda Todd suffered.

Amanda's Case

The case of Amanda Todd stirred much heated debate on the online media. However, the people fail to grasp the fact that the bullying was not the main cause of her death but the sexual online abuse was. The online sexual predator was the culprit behind her death; he bullied her into exposing her private parts and then blackmailed her by taking her picture from the webcam. The predator after leaking the picture of Amanda on the internet returned the following year to threaten her again. The children in her school viewed the picture on the internet and started bullying her. The family moved to a new place to provide Amanda a chance for a new start. Even though, the episode had shaken Amanda a lot, she could have recovered from it gradually but the sexual predator didn't stop here. He returned and threatened her to do a “show” for him again. When Amanda refused, the pictures were leaked to the students of her new school. A facebook profile using her naked pictures were also set up. This ...