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It was a mighty ark. 140 metres long according to the Bible. However most scientists agree that still would not have been enough to hold the millions of species that have been discovered on earth.

As next week’s meeting of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity gets ready to kick off in Bonn, Germany, estimates of the number of species on earth are surging to hull-busting levels as biologists find new life almost everywhere they look, from African swamps to Antarctica.

The ever-widening menagerie is a paradox when an expanding human population, pollution and climate change threaten what United Nations’ studies say is the worst spate of extinctions since the dinosaurs were wiped out 65 million years ago.

Government officials trying to protect the modern world’s wildlife gather in Bonn from May 19-30 to examine progress towards a goal set in 2002 of slowing biodiversity loss by 2010.

Most experts say the target is slipping out of reach.

Even so, wider research means finds of new species such as a legless lizard in Brazil or a Tanzanian shrew are testing biblical scholars’ calculations on how Noah squeezed all animals aboard the Ark.

‘It’s of course physically impossible,’ James Edwards, executive director of the Encyclopedia of Life, said of the biblical account.

The Encylopedia is cataloguing all identified species, 1.8 million so far, in a free online service.

Source: rte.ie

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Tags: according | Environment | impossible | metres | Mighty | Noah

“Sterling Silver Continent of Africa Pendant” ()

“Planet Botanicals Natural Shea Butter, Lavender, Certified Organic, 3.5 oz” (Planet Botanicals)

“Lauren Hutton - Passport to Africa” (Lauren Hutton Good Stuff LLC)

“Sweet Potato Mud Puddle Collection” (Glenna Jean)

“Sunshine Baby South Africa Safari Gecko Tee WHITE 12 Months” (Sunshine Baby)

“REPUBLIC SOUTH AFRICA 1ST FREE ELECTIONS APARTHEID FLAG” (RAPART)

“Grounded Adapter - USA to South Africa & older areas of Ireland - White” ()

“African Gourd Calabash Shaker, Large, Hand Crafted in Ghana” (Back To Africa)

“The Mande Variations” (Toumani Diabate)

Here in Dublin The new Foreign Minister Micheál Martin kicked a series of events celebrating African culture as a lead-up to Africa Day on 25 May.

Irish Aid is supporting 58 cultural, sporting and academic events in 21 counties across the island and the Africa Day festival will take place in the gardens of Dublin Castle on Sunday 25 May.

The main stage line up for this event will feature Irish and African entertainers including Mundy, Sinéad O Connor, Republic of Loose with The Discovery Gospel Choir, Motema, Gardiner Street Gospel Choir and Congomania.

‘This is a great opportunity for us to look again at Africa and our perceptions of the continent’, Minister Martin. ‘Irish Aid is proud to support events marking Africa Day in Ireland. Over 80% of Ireland’s aid supports development in Africa.’

The Minister launched the Africa Day festival at the Irish Aid Volunteering and Information Centre on Dublin’s O’Connell Street, where he was joined by representatives of African communities in Ireland.

Major events are taking place in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick and most are free for the public.

Next weekend, prominent Dublin City buildings will host light displays highlighting the lives of Africans in Ireland.

Source: rte.ie via infomatique

FILM:

The Africa Day Film Festival features a selection of world classfilmmaking, which celebrates the creative potential that exists on sucha vast and varied continent.

Africa Day Film Festival - Dublin

The Africa Day Film Festival features a selection of world classfilmmaking, which celebrates the creative potential that exists on sucha vast and varied continent. 25 May 12pm/1.45pm/2pm at the Irish FilmInstitute, Eustace Street, Dublin 2 | IFI Africa Day Film Festival

Galway African Film Festival - Galway

Free festival of African films from Senegal, Ghana, South Africa,Nigeria and Chad. 1-2 June, all day from 12pm at Galway Town HallTheatre | http://www.myspace.com/galwayafricanfilmfestival

Sights and Sounds of Africa - Tralee

A night of African Film. The main feature will be supported by acollection of shorts by emerging African filmmakers. 24 May, 9pm, atGortbrack Organic Farm, Tralee, Co.Kerry.

The Reel Africa - Dundalk

A celebration of Africa on film. Recent African cinema will bescreened in an intimate setting with the directors and discussionsabout their work. Opening film on 22 May, 8pm - closing film on 24 May,8pm at the Dundalk Institute of Technology | http://reelafrica.dkit.ie

Celebrating African Film - Dublin

Three films to celebrate African film, suitable for all ages. 22 May10.30am/2pm/7pm at Ballyfermot College of Further Education, Dublin 10.

The Big Idea - TV documentary

Young Scientist award winner, Tara McGrath, travels to Ethiopia totest her latest invention- a pressure cooker designed to tackle thebiggest issues in food preparation faced by the developing world. 26May, 11.30pm on RTE One.

CULTURE:

A day of African culture, Art and Crafts, African food, including:dance workshop, hair-braiding workshop, photo exhibition, and adult andchildren’s literature.

Africa Day - Dublin Castle

Irish Aid’s flagship Africa Day event takes place in the gardens ofDublin Castle and is open - free of charge - to the public. With anAfrican village and range of activities and entertainment for childrenand adults alike. Sunday, 25 May, 1-7pm at Dublin Castle | Africa Day

Africa Day at the National Botanic Gardens

Talk on ‘Plants for People in Africa’ by Dr. Darach Lupton,botanist at the National Botanic Gardens.‘Parched deserts, drenched forests; an introduction to thehabitats, important plant diversity and botanic gardens of theAfrican continent.’ Followed by music by Oleku, in the Curvilinear Range.Sunday 25 May, 2pm.For more information please see the website: http://www.botanicgardens.ie/home.htm

Come and meet Africa - Waterford

A day of African culture, including: dance workshop, hair-braidingworkshop, photo exhibition, and adult and children’s literature. 23May, 10am-8pm at Waterford City Library, Waterford.

Building Unity through Diversity - Dublin

Building Unity through Diversity is an awareness project promotingthe diversity and potential of Africa. Exhibition 19 May-2 June at theIrish Aid Centre, 27-31 Upper O’Connell St, Dublin 1. Also at DublinCastle on 25 May | www.buildingunity.eu

Embracing Diversity - One people, one heritage - Limerick and Dublin

Art & Crafts, Music, African food, African literature and afootball tournament. 23-24 May from 11am at City Hall, Limerick.Cultural workshops, masquerades and performances, African food andstory-telling workshops. 24 May from 1pm at National League of theBlind Hall, 21 Hill Street, Dublin 1.

Feile Africa - Cork

Concerts and club sessions plus workshop exhibitions, discussions,and lectures at a number of venues throughout the week in Cork city.19-23 May. For more details, see: http://www.feileafrica.com/feileafrica_news.htm

MUSIC:

The Afro-gig music extravaganza will feature Kanda Bongo Man, the mostfamous exponent of Soukous in Africa will play at the AmbassadorTheatre.

Afro Gig with Kanda Bongo Man - Dublin

The Afro-gig music extravaganza will feature Kanda Bongo Man, themost famous exponent of Soukous in Africa. 24 May, 7.30pm, at theAmbassador Theatre, Dublin 1 | www.africacentre.ie

Sights and Sounds of Africa - Tralee

African beats with Clubheadbangbang. DJ Wax will play a Nigerianhip-hop set. 22 May, 10pm, at the Greyhound venue, Tralee, Co. Kerry.

Spirit of Africa Voice - Galway

Open-air stage to celebrate Africa Day, with an African musicconcert, children’s storytelling and face painting. 25 May, 1-6pm, atEyre Square, Galway. Concert and BBQ at NUI Galway Bar on 24 May 3-8pm.www.spiritofvoice.com

Lively Up Yourself - Mayo

An African drumming event with a workshop and free publicperformance. Workshop starts at 11am and performance at 4pm at MarketSquare, Ballina, Co. Mayo.

Rythmix Africa - Limerick

A youth participation music project - a series of exciting workshopswith African drumming experts and a free lunchtime concert. 25 May,12pm, at Limerick Institute of Technology, Millennium Theatre, Limerick.

OTHER EVENTS
The Africa Centre annual lecture - Dublin

This lecture will present an image of Africa by Africans not oftenheard in mainstream Irish debates. 21 May, 7.30pm at the Irish AidCentre, 27-31 Upper O’Connell St, Dublin 1| www.africacentre.ie

Human Rights in Zimbabwe - Dublin

Post-elections, what now for Zimbabwe? Discussion on the possiblerole of the Churches in helping create a better future for thiscountry. 22 May, 9.30am-1pm at the Irish Aid Centre, 27-31 UpperO’Connell St, Dublin 1.

Embracing Diversity - Limerick and Cork

Debate on Ireland’s contribution to African development on Limerick95FM, 19 May. Seminar on African Heritage and Integration with liveperformances, 23-24 May from 12pm at Clarion Hotels, Cork.

Writing Africa - Dublin

A celebration of African literature; a weekend of discussion,readings and workshops with leading African authors. 24-25 May at IrishWriters Centre, Parnell Square, Dublin 1.

DUBLIN CASTLE:

The flagship event will take place in the gardens of Dublin Castle on Sunday, 25th May from 1 to 7pm.

‘Africa Day @ Dublin Castle’ is open - free of charge - to thepublic, and will showcase many aspects of African culture, includingmusic, literature, art and cuisine. The event will take the form of anAfrican Village and will comprise the following elements:

The Bazaar

When entering the event and its specially created African Village,visitors will walk through a bazaar area, comprising stands from Egypt,Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa andUganda. Visitors will have the chance to sample wine, coffee andtraditional foods in this area; to partake in a mint tea orcoffee-drinking ceremony; to play popular African board games; seedrumming demonstrations, acrobatic performances and lots of traditionalAfrican costumes, and even send greetings to Nelson Mandela for his90th birthday in July!

The Main Stage

A main stage in front of the picnic area will feature a line-up of leading Irish and African entertainers, including: Mundy; Kíla; a very special guest appearance from Sinéad O’Connor and Republic of Loosewith The Discovery Gospel Choir; Motema (40s and 50s Congolese rumba);R’n'B act, Stone & Jezreel; The Gardiner Street Gospel Choir;energetic dance act, Congomania; Ugandan traditional dance and afashion show. All of the main acts participating on stage areperforming free of charge.

Stone & Jezreel will be performing at Dublin Castle

The Culture Section

The Culture Section will feature spoken word performances on themain stage and in the theatre of the Chester Beatty Library. Inputswill be provided by:

• Irish Times writer, Roisin Ingle.
• Founder and Artistic Director of Arambe Productions (Ireland’sfirst African Theatre), Bisi Adigun. Bisi’s performance title is ‘PeigSayers - A Fear Gorm Perspective’. He will read from ‘Peig’, theautobiography of the native Irish speaker, Peig Sayers, and explore theuse of a rich heritage of proverbs in the Irish language and in hisnative Nigeria.
• Ghanaian author and performance poet Nii Ayikwei Parkes, who hasbeen invited to Ireland to celebrate Africa Day by the Dublin Writers’Centre. Nii is a writer of poetry, prose and articles, and haspublished three poetry chapbooks: eyes of a boy, lips of a man (1999);M is for Madrigal (2004), a selection of seven jazz poems; and shorter(2005), published to raise money for a writers’ fund in Ghana. Anexperienced performer of his work, he has appeared all over the world,including at NuYorican, New York; The Royal Festival Hall, London; andJava, Paris, and often leads writing and performance workshops.
• South African author and journalist, Thabi Madide, who will readfrom her debut novel ‘Really’. Her novel tells the story of a blackSouth African woman who moves to live in Ireland and unexpectedly fallsin love with a former Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging commander.
• Irish author and journalist, Declan Lynch, who will read from his hugely popular novel ‘The Rooms’.
• Editor of Metro Éireann, Chinedu Onyejelem, who will give a spoken word performance on the topic of Igbo marriage customs.

The Culture Corner will extend into the Coach House at DublinCastle, and will feature art and photography exhibits, as well as craftand artefact displays. The Irish Ethiopian Friendship Association willbe on hand with a display of Ethiopian artefacts and textiles; WorldDesign will display contemporary African design and craft; the’Building Unity Through Diversity’ exhibition will offer families thechance to have their photos taken and become part of Ireland’s familyalbum, while other African photographs and art will also be on display.

In addition, the Chester Beatty Library will extend its openinghours until 7pm on Africa Day; the Library houses the newly opened Artsof the Book exhibition and the Sacred Traditions exhibition, whichincludes a number of manuscripts from Ethiopia.

Sports Corner

Former Republic of Ireland soccer manager, Brian Kerr, will be onhand - together with SARI (Sports Against Racism in Ireland) - tooversee sporting activities at the African Village event. This willinclude Extreme Trampoline, five-a-side soccer and mini-tournaments forall ages. The Ugandan Association of Ireland will also give somedemonstrations of netball, one of the most popular sports in Uganda.

Open Area and Kids’ Corner

In the Kids’ Corner, there will be a story-telling area,face-painting and fun activities focusing on different aspects ofAfrican culture. Older children can participate in workshops onbracelet-making.

Traditional African Dancers, hair-braiders and face-painters willmingle in the main ‘market area’, which will be set in front of themain stage.

In a corner of the market area, a group of Zambian artists willcreate a mural of Africa using newspaper images and materials fromAfrica. Visitors will be encouraged to contribute to the process.

Film

Screenings of the acclaimed animated film ‘Kirikou and theSorceress’ will take place. Taking its artistic inspiration fromAfrican sculpture and Egyptian art - and featuring an authenticsoundtrack from Senegalese musician Youssou N’dour - the film will beappreciated by parents and children alike.

Eating

Visitors to Africa Day @ Dublin Castle are encouraged to bringpicnics and to stay for a few hours to soak up the carnival atmosphere.African food will also be available for sale, with the renowned SilkRoad Café providing catering facilities.

Prizes and Treats

Traidlinkswill provide tea, coffee and fruit, as well as offering two familyhampers for winners of the Africa Day Quiz. Silk Road Café will alsooffer a family hamper for the quiz, while Edun Clothing will provide100 per cent organic cotton t-shirts from Africa as prizes for thoseparticipating in sporting events.

Register your Interest

Entry to Africa Day @ Dublin Castle is free of charge. To help uscater for numbers on the day, we would ask you to register yourintention to attend the event by sending an email to: register@dhr.ie. Please indicate in your mail the number of people that will be attending in your party.

Note: this email is not for general queries about Africa day, if you have general queries contact: africaday@dfa.ie

Africa Day on Facebook

Join the Africa Day group on Facebook and get updates on acts, activities and special guests.

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Tags: Africa | connor | Cork | Discovery | dublin | gardiner | Ireland | martin | Republic | ‘Irish | ACADEMIC | African | castle | celebrating | choir | Congomania | COUNTIES | Culture | ENTERTAINERS | feature | festival | Gardens | Gospel | including | IRISH | kicks | lead-up | marking | Minister | Motema | Mundy | opportunity | perceptions | proud | Series | sporting | stage | sunday

Men commit more crimes than women. For example, in 2002 male offenders in England and Wales outnumbered female offenders by more than four to one.

In 2000 the peak age of offending was 18 for males and 15 for females. Slightly higher proportions of male than female offenders (59 per cent compared with 56 per cent) were aged 21 and over. People aged 35 and over, particularly women, are much less likely to be found guilty of, or cautioned for, indictable offences.

Men outnumber women in all major crime categories. Between 85 and 95 per cent of offenders found guilty of burglary, robbery, drug offences, criminal damage or violence against the person are male. Although the number of offenders are relatively small, 98 per cent of people found guilty of, or cautioned for, sexual offences are male.

Theft was the most commonly committed offence by both men and women in 2002. For indictable offences, 57 per cent of female offenders were found guilty of or cautioned for theft and handling stolen goods compared with 34 per cent of male offenders.

Men are more likely to be the victims of violent crime than women. Over 5 per cent of men and just under 3 per cent of women aged 16 and over in England and Wales were the victims of some sort of violence in the twelve months prior to interview in 2002/03. Men and women aged 16 to 24 are the most at risk age group. Around 15 per cent of men and 7 per cent women of this age reporting that some sort of violence had been used against them.

Domestic violence is the only category of violence where the risks for women are higher than for men. Risks of stranger violence remain substantially greater for men than for women, with men four times more likely than women to suffer this form of attack.

Despite being more likely to be the victim of crime, men are less worried than women about most types of crime. Women are between two and three times more likely than men to be very worried about being mugged or physically attacked and five times more likely than men to be very worried about being raped. Roughly equal proportions of men and women are worried about theft of, or from, a car.

The number of crimes carried out by girls has risen sharply as the emergenceof a “ladette” culture linked to underage drinking is blamed for a surge inviolence.

Offences of criminal damage, public disorder, robbery and minor assaultscarried out by females under 18 have all increased, figures releasedyesterday reveal.

Over the same period the number of crimes committed by boys fell slightly,although boys and young men are still responsible for the overwhelming bulkof youth offending.

Figures from the Youth Justice Board showed that crimes carried out by girlsbetween the ages of 10 and 17 have risen by 25 per cent in three years, withviolent attacks against people rising by 50 per cent.

Although some experts blamed the trend on the ladette culture and underagedrinking, others said that the statistics reflected the fact thatcriminality by young girls is taken more seriously than in the past.

Young girls were responsible for more than 15,672 crimes of violence againstthe person last year plus a further 1,000 robberies – about 45 violentattacks a day.

Source: timesonline.co.uk

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Tags: boys | carried | crimes | Culture | emergence | girls | OFFENCES | RISEN | sharply | slightly | World

“Steve Madden Women’s Sannibel Flip-Flop Sandal” (Steve Madden)

“406-DOLL, 4″ Stiletto Pump with Lace Trim, Available in 6 Colors” ()

Very Cute!, May 11, 2008 By Rebecca L. Davis “beccad_1″ (Australia) - See all my reviews Having a small size 5 foot , I was a little reluctant to purchase shoes from overseas but they fit perfectly and very comfortable! They’re gorgeous, I’m the envy of all my friends.

Sexy AND Comfortable, April 23, 2008 By Crystal Wold (Elk River, MN United States) - See all my reviews These shoes are great! I usually wear a 6-6.5 so ordered a 7 based on a review that suggested they run small - not so! Ended up exchanging for a 6 and they fit perfectly! I got the red and black ones, and am now trying to decide if I want to order the black or white ones next. Really cute, comfortable, and the red demands attention.

Love These!, April 20, 2008 By Brit - See all my reviews I absolutely LOVE these shoes. These are my first pair of stilettos and are surprisingly comfortable! I have a fairly wide foot, but these still fit great. Also I usually wear a size 7 1/2, but the size 7 fits like a glove. Now I’m thinking about getting them in more colors.

Leopard Print Shoe, April 4, 2008 By R. Dossani “book lover” (USA) - See all my reviews I WORE THESE SHOES FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS (AFTER BREAKING THEM IN) AND THEY HURT!! I COULDN’T WALK IN THEM!. I think it has to do with the fact that there is a 4 inch heel. You’re basically standing on your toes for the whole time. This gets worse if you are more than your ideal weight because you are just putting more stress on your toes. One of my shoes hurts more than the other…so sometimes i think maybe there’s something wrong with the shoe itself. The print on both of the shoes is slightly different too…it’s not noticeable from far way. But yea…it sucks because you’re standing on your toes. *sigh* i shall try again. *************************************** Very cute shoes. I got them a couple of days ago. Shipping is VERY high… THe shoes came well packaged in the shoe box inside a ups box. The shoe box itself looked a little old/used…but the shoes were great. I wish they had half sizes but really the size 5 fits perfectly. Stable high heel. You can walk around in them for hours without blisters. The color is actually slightly lighter then in the picture and more gold but for me it didn’t matter much. Make ur feet look really tiny lol. My shoe size is 5 and they look TINY. The service is good. They give u a tracking number…although it took them a few days to actually ship my item to ups… I think i want to get the pink ones too while they still have my size…i wish the shipping didn’t cost so much

Love the shoes, March 25, 2008 By J. Pugh (Cedar City, UT) - See all my reviews These shoes are comfy and every time I wear them someone comments on how cute they are.

F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S, March 10, 2008 By LaTasha Carpenter “Shoe Devil” (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews I purchased these shoes in black, red and white. These are incredibly sassy and sexy. The rounded toe makes them comfortable also and they make my feet look tiny! I love the pleated detail on the shoe, not something you find on shoes at this price point. I’m definitely going to order the pink. I LOVE THESE SHOES!

Love them!, February 4, 2008 By Alaina (FPO, AP United States) - See all my reviews These are some sexy, comfy shoes. I usually wear an 8.5, so I got a 9. They fit just a little big, but as the foot expands throughout the day I am sure it will be better than a shoe that is a little snug. These are pretty true to size. And they are sooooo comfy and dainty. Love them!

Sweet!, November 21, 2007 By Kristen A. Geiges “Kristabelle” (New Jersey) - See all my reviews This product is exactly as described and exactly what I wanted. The shoes are comfortable and stylish. I love them!

great!!, November 14, 2007 By R. Alnesef - See all my reviews i’m not easily impressed with shoes and i was afraid that the shoes might be uncomfortable or cheap looking. but they looked adorable! i got the pink ones in a size 9. size fits perfect and the shoes are very comfortable. totally worth it!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful: so cute, November 10, 2007 By danielle miles “enjoyful” (baltimore, md) - See all my reviews Okay, these shoes are super cute!! they look great with skirts and jeans - and when you wear them with jeans, your feet look so tiny! (i’m a 9). They are cut a little big (i should have gotten a 8 1/2), but i out those little gel sticky cushions in the back and they feel amazing. these shoes will make you feel dead sexy in whatever you wear. I didn’t buy the shoes from this seller for some reason amazon thinks i did) and i got them for about $25, and my shipper was great - shipped fast and well wrapped, never worn. i love these! it’s rated 4 stars only b/c they don’t offer half sizes.

High-heeled footwear (often abbreviated as high heels) is footwear which raise the heel of the wearer’s foot significantly higher than the toes. When both the heel and the toes are raised equal amounts, as in a platform shoe, it is not considered to be a “high-heel”. This tends to give the illusion of longer and more slender legs. High-heels come in a wide variety of styles, and the heels are found in many different shapes, including stiletto, pump, block, tapered, blade, and wedge.

While high heels today are mostly associated with female shoe styles, and the term high heeled shoe is generally understood to refer to styles of footwear almost exclusively worn by women, there are numerous shoe designs worn by both genders which have elevated heels, including cowboy boots and cuban heels. According to high fashion shoe websites like Jimmy Choo and Gucci, a “low heel” is considered less than 6 centimeters (2.5 inches), while 6 centimeters to 8.5 centimeters (3.5 inches) heels are considered “mid heels,” and anything over 8.5 centimeters is considered a “high heel”

The Green Cottage in Malahide - County Dublin, originally uploaded by infomatique.

Malahide, despite the surrounding, and ongoing, development, has retained a village atmosphere in the centre, and retail facilities are on a modest scale, including a single small supermarket in a modest shopping centre, and many shops on the central streets. There is a broad range of pubs and restaurants, and a mid-sized hotel, the Grand Hotel.

ONE VERY HAPPY CHEF, originally uploaded by infomatique.

Malahide, despite the surrounding, and ongoing, development, has retained a village atmosphere in the centre, and retail facilities are on a modest scale, including a single small supermarket in a modest shopping centre, and many shops on the central streets. There is a broad range of pubs and restaurants, and a mid-sized hotel, the Grand Hotel.

SANS SOUCI, originally uploaded by infomatique.

Malahide, despite the surrounding, and ongoing, development, has retained a village atmosphere in the centre, and retail facilities are on a modest scale, including a single small supermarket in a modest shopping centre, and many shops on the central streets. There is a broad range of pubs and restaurants, and a mid-sized hotel, the Grand Hotel.

Malahide - County Dublin, originally uploaded by infomatique.

Malahide, despite the surrounding, and ongoing, development, has retained a village atmosphere in the centre, and retail facilities are on a modest scale, including a single small supermarket in a modest shopping centre, and many shops on the central streets. There is a broad range of pubs and restaurants, and a mid-sized hotel, the Grand Hotel.

Malahide - County Dublin, originally uploaded by infomatique.

Malahide, despite the surrounding, and ongoing, development, has retained a village atmosphere in the centre, and retail facilities are on a modest scale, including a single small supermarket in a modest shopping centre, and many shops on the central streets. There is a broad range of pubs and restaurants, and a mid-sized hotel, the Grand Hotel.

Cyber-bullying involves the use of information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behaviour by an individual or group, that is intended to harm others.”[1] Cyberbullying can be as simple as continuing to send e-mail to someone who has said they want no further contact with the sender, but it may also include threats, sexual remarks, pejorative labels (i.e., hate speech). Though the use of sexual remarks and threats are sometimes present in cyber-bullying, it is not the same as sexual harassment and does not involve sexual predators.
Cyber-bullies may disclose victims’ personal data (e.g. real name or workplace/schools) at websites or forums, or may attempt to assume the identity of a victim for the purpose of publishing material in their name that defames or ridicules them. Some cyber-bullies may also send threatening emails and instant messages to the victims. The content in these messages are often so strong that a victim may commit suicide. Suicide is rare but strong bullying material is more common. One example of suicide from being a victim of cyber-bullying is the Megan Meier suicide controversy

A 49-year-old US woman accused of pretending to be a love-struck teenage boy on MySpace and driving a 13-year-old girl to suicide with cruel messages has been indicted on federal charges.

US prosecutors say Lori Drew and others created the fake MySpace persona of a 16-year-old boy to woo neighbour Megan Meier for several weeks, and then abruptly ended the relationship and said the world would be better off without her.

Ms Meier’s 2006 suicide by hanging, just hours after she read those final messages, made worldwide headlines and prompted calls for social networking sites like MySpace to crack down on cyber-bullying.

‘This adult woman allegedly used the Internet to target a young teenage girl, with horrendous ramifications,’ US Attorney Thomas O’Brien said in announcing the indictment in Los Angeles, where MySpace is based.

‘Any adult who uses the Internet or a social gathering Web site to bully or harass another person, particularly a young teenage girl, needs to realise that their actions can have serious consequences,’ Mr O’Brien said.

Experts said the indictment, which was handed down in Los Angeles after Missouri authorities declined to prosecute Ms Drew, was the first of its kind and could stretch the bounds of the federal statute on which it was based.

Source: rte.ie via infomatique

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Tags: Culture | cyberbully | Indicted | MySpace