The growth of social media websites has provided bullies with the perfect platform for cyberbullying. In several recent high profile bullying-related cases, social networking sites have played some role in the intimidation process, including promoting the cyberbullying craze known as RIP trolling.
Sickening craze mocks the dead
"RIP trolling," the insidious and sickening act of visiting a dedicated memorial page online to post atrocious and controversial statements makes fun of the dead. Thriving on the shock factor, a troll's statement serve one purpose, to cause hurt to the already grief stricken. This deplorable act contains a level of depravity unmatched by the worst physical threat and goes far beyond the deceased to directly target their loved ones.
Trolls have no boundaries and exist behind a freedom of speech mantra. Posting gut-wrenching comments, altered sadistic photographs of the deceased, and videos poking fun, draw a reaction. Seeking a thrill borne of controversy, the hardcore troller views his acts as a hobby. The worst offenders gain popularity and promote emulation, everything a typical teenager seeks. But unlike other high school fads, RIP trolling does not just attract teens.
On Feb. 26, 2011, Beth Hale of the UK's Daily Mail described an interaction with a man known only as "Pro Fesser." This self-confessed RIP troller described how he got his kicks by finding memorial pages and posting controversial statements. If you think him some misguided teen, think again. An American living in the UK, Pro Fessor says in "Tormented by Trolling" that his introduction to the craze came courtesy of "His wife," and he finds it, "very funny to mock the dead."
If as parents, this shocks you, then you need to be aware that this abhorrent act is gaining traction, and websites that encourage trolling in all forms are increasing in number and malignancy. Using an ordinary Google search with the keywords "rip trolling" presented two sites discovered on the initial page of search results.
RIP trolling websites accessed through Google
More of a blog than an interactive website, Terrbear.org, aka Terry Heath, announced on June 6, 2008, that he hung up his trolling boots because remaining anonymous in today's cyber world was becoming more difficult. He freely admits to being a professional forum troll who, "Trolled things that most people wouldn’t think of mocking, and actively solicited the worst in people."
Whether Heath is his real name or not, he plans on quitting, not because his actions pricked his conscience but because he does not want people standing in judgment of him by Googling "His name, before talking to him."
In none of Heath's words does he acknowledge remorse for actions committed, instead disappointment is expressed, mainly that a lack of anonymity forced him to stop. Although Heath's site is not an immediate threat, it is mentioned because of the glimpse offered into the mindset of a troller.
Only a little further down the page from Terrbear.org, we come to The Legendary Troll Kingdom at Trollkingdom.net. The first page that I landed on began by discussing the greatest moments in trolling history. The moderator, known only as Mentalist, describes the website as a, "A place you can come and say what you want without fear of being censored or persecuted by overzealous moderators."
The link to Troll Kingdom's staff page is invalid, but a former prominent member and current owner of TerranBBS.net, called "Yu," wrote in 2005, how he was "Reading for a degree in Criminology and Social Policy as a mature student," and looked, "for people and things that I can mock ... because ... it makes me laugh." Yu, born and raised in the US, now lives in the UK and his background information and choice of words are eerily familiar.
4chan b and Anonymous
Whitney Phillips, a PhD student in the English department at the University of Oregon, writes in "Trolls and the Trolls who Troll Them," published at Hastac.org in October 2010, that she plans to include research into Facebook RIP trolling in her dissertation. Phillips, who established a fake troll profile, says she gained 150 troll friends who would lead her to pages to check out and troll. Phillips, currently tackling several projects into RIP trolling on Facebook, will also take a look at 4chan, a collection of image boards, which allows, anonymous postings of discussions and images.
Part of the popular 4chan known as "/b/" has remarkably few rules and promotes popular Internet memes – a catchphrase, image, idea, joke or video that can be spread rapidly across the web, like a virus. 4chan "/b/" is accredited as the birthplace for Anonymous, a 2003 Internet meme tied to computer hacking or hactivist operations which include forum invasions and personal attacks on websites.
Anonymous, which knocked off Egypt's Ministry of Information website offline in support of Egyptian protesters' calls for Mubarak's resignation, was also tied to the hacking of Sarah Palin's personal email account. These websites remain more powerful than many parents realize and 4chan "/b/" in particular, told Foxnews.com reporter Taryn Sauthoff in 2009, it served over 15 million users per quarter.
RIP trolling also reared its ugly head in the aftermath of the Jan. 2010 suicide death of Phoebe Prince, whose Facebook memorial page was trolled, and provocative messages posted. Despite Facebook closing the page down, dedicated trollers can create a new identity in just a few minutes.
Facebook being policed by UK law enforcement
Although the Internet offers less shelter to the anonymous, monitoring online activity is often down to the responsibility of individual companies, meaning there is still a large gray area that parents are not aware of. In this instance, what options are available for controlling access, or monitoring, RIP trolling sites across social networks such as Facebook? According to Britain's Daily Mail newspaper at Dailymail.co.uk, police officers in Reading, England, will now work with local schools for a period of three months, spurred on by an increase in Facebook cyberbullying crimes.
In February 2011, UK police announced that, for three months, teachers can submit a tip to law enforcement when parents suspect that their child has been a victim of cyber-bullying crime. The suspected offender will then receive a Facebook warning from police telling them they could face prosecution. The move, a short-term solution to a long-term problem is applauded, but remains a temporary solution that will never replace parental supervision.
Parents must provide the first and last defense in controlling what kids have access to online, particularly when it is far worse than what might be encountered in the real world. In a June 2010 interview with Suite101.com, Internet safety and cyberbullying expert Mary Kay Hoal, suggests that apart from policing their kids online activities, parents need to take action because cyberbullies are not as anonymous as they might think. In keeping digital copies and screen shots, Hoal says, evidence can be gathered and used to launch a police investigation.
Note: All sources accessed Mar. 03-04, 2011.
Elizabeth Batt - Elizabeth Batt is a former large animal nurse, certified NREMT, lover of equines and conservationist.
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