Leave Amber Cole Alone: Social Media Is Victimizing Our Young People

In this digital age, way too often social media is victimizing our young people. Humiliation is just an enter key and mouse click away.
Over the last week, a video of 14-year-old Amber Cole performing oral sex on her ex-boyfriend went viral. The event took place outside of their high school while two other boys watched nearby and recorded it.
It wasn’t long before websites got a hold of the recording and posted it for their subscribers to view.
Immediately social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook filled up with controversial comments and opinions on the scandal. The hash tag topic that trended read “Leave Amber Cole Alone.” Derogatory words were thrown Amber’s way, some of them even crossing the line to bullying.
Yes, Amber Cole performed the act, but should she be ridiculed this way? The answer is no. There are many steps and tools that could’ve prevented this. Not excuses but precautions, she is 14 years old and was obviously mislead.
Sources say Amber consented to perform this act on school grounds in hopes to win back her ex-boyfriend.
On and off camera scenarios like this are wrong. At such a young age, although she does know right from wrong, our communities can be to blame.
Before Amber is any of the names she has been called, she is someone’s daughter first.
Where are the men in this child’s life? Judging off her desperation to win back an old boyfriend that she shouldn’t have had in the first place, Amber is completely vulnerable.
Perhaps there is a male void in her life which lead to her seeking validation from boys. This easily leads back to a popular community slogan, “Protect Our Children.”
Based off the actions of the two boys that recorded the act, this displayed that they might have not been brought up to honor and respect women.