Description

On the Internet, research the facts of poor Megan Meier, the Missouri girl who hanged herself after a neighbor’s mom created a bogus Internet “friend” for Megan.

1. summarize the story of Megan Meier

2. tell me whether what the “friend”‘s mother (and her helpers) did in Megan Meier’s case should be a crime. At the time of Megan’s death, Missouri state officials concluded that the “friend”‘s mother violated no existing Missouri laws. The federal government did prosecute the “friend”‘s mother, but it turned out existing federal laws weren’t really violated by her conduct either. So Missouri has now passed a new state law, and a congresswoman has proposed a new federal law. (see links to both above)

3. Do the new laws cover behavior like that of the neighbors mother and her helpers in Megan’s case?

4. Do the new laws go too far in making certain behaviors a crime that really shouldn’t be?