Beyond Bullying

Rehtaeh Parsons

Seventeen-year-old, Rehtaeh Parsons,

 was removed from life support this past Sunday.
Last week, this Nova Scotia teenager, hung herself.

Why would a lovely, seventeen-year-old young woman,

 end her life?

According to her mother, Leah Parsons,
when Rehtaeh was fifteen,
she was sexually assaulted by four boys,
at a home. Apparently, one of the boys
took a photo during the assault and posted
it on the internet. After the posting,
Rehtaeh was the target of online assault:
these actions go beyond bullying.

Why were the four, teenage boys not persecuted?
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police pursued
an investigation, but due to insufficient evidence,
no charges were laid.

"The justice system failed my daughter,"
Leah Parsons said in an interview.

People across Nova Scotia, 

and throughout Canada,
are asking, "Why?" 

 Why is it, that a young woman,
a victim of a sexual assault,

 becomes a victim of cyber assault?

Justice minister, Ross Landry,

 refused to review the initial investigation.

 Due to an outcry from people across the province,
he has reconsidered.

Nova Scotia, this lovely, Maritime province,
surrounded by the Atlantic, has the highest rate
of sexual assault per capita in Canada (Avalon, 2009).
Halifax, its capital, has the third highest rate
of sexual assault in Canada (Avalon, 2009).

How are we, the parents, teachers, politicians,
counselors, school administrators, 

 friends and citizens, 

failing our children?
Why is silence still the norm,
shame the secrecy?

How young is too young, 

to teach our children,

"No," means no?

What is consent? 

While many internet posts are crying out for revenge,
Rehtaeh's mother says she wants justice,
not retaliation.The cyber-activist group,
Anonymous, apparently was threatening to release
the names of the four boys.
At the request of Leah Parsons,
they backed away.
"I think they, (the boys), need to be accountable
for what that they did,"
Parsons said. "I don't want them
to be physically harmed."
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2013/04/10/ns-rehtaeh-suicide-reaction-todd.html

I hope Rehtaeh, you rest in peace.

I hope your story

 brings lasting change.

As a society,

 I hope we learn to say

"No:"  we will no longer

slip into silence;

we will no longer

allow shame to become

the new secrecy;

we will no longer

accept cyber assault, 

or violence against our children.

How young is too young,

to teach our children, 

"No," means no?

Teach your children now,

teach them well.