Heath Mean Girls?

February 10, 2011  
Filed under Opinion

Everyone knows the hit high school movie “Mean Girls” when one “popular” group of three girls rule the school, terrorizing all other girls and staff members in sight. We all think it’s funny, but we new knew that an actual burn book would appear on the cyber phenomenon: Facebook. These pages included Heath Plastics and Rockwall Ride or Hide. Both of these pages have been brought to the schools attention, mostly Mr. Maglisceau’s attention. Girls have been bullying girls to the point where Mr. Maglisceau, teachers, PTA members, coaches, and other students have become involved. Bullying has become a major problem at RHHS, and it needs to be stopped.

Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility of bullying and harassment in our school. A variety of bad examples and childhood cruelty give rise to bullying and depression. You can read narrative essays online to learn more about this, as well as how to properly confront teenage aggression.

Sitting in the Performing Arts Center, when the guest speaker, Michele Ratcliffe, a former federal prosecutor and graduate from SMU’s Law school, began talking about both cyber bulling and sexting, also a major problem at Heath.

Ratcliffe’s presenation: Cyber Law 101 covered the definitions of sexting and bullying but also showed the effects of what could happen to you with the law and with people in your community. Currently in the state of Texas, there are six teenagers being prosecuted for child pornography which includes sending pictures of girls or boys exposing private parts, exposing your bra and panties for girls, and if the pictures are to provoke a sexual response, you can be prosecuted for solicitation or asking for pictures, production or taking pictures, receipt or receiving pictures, or distribution or forwarding of pictures. Even sexting can include words, not just pictures. Regardless of your role in sexting, you can always be prosecuted even five years after the pictures were sent out.

Sexting is the number one social issue in the community, even over drugs and underage alcohol use. With sexting at such high of rates, the police and the FBI are trying to stop child pornography using GPS finders to track down the sexual offenders. Ratcliffe said, “Use the front door rule to post pictures on the internet. If you wouldn’t put the picture on the front door of your house, then don’t post it.” She is trying to get out to every girl and boy in Texas to “think before you post.”