A Facebook page filled with vile messages aimed at Virginia Beach high school students was taken down.
Now another page with the same type of messages is back up, and some people aren't happy about it.
Tashena posted on NewsChannel 3's Facebook page saying "There has to be a way to get pages like this taken down for good! This is the most upsetting & rude page I have ever seen."
The pages joke about stereotypes associated with each of the Beach high schools, making light of drug usage, drinking, and sex.
Many of the pictures contain nudity or profanity.
Upset parents brought it to NewsChannel 3's attention. One parent said the images are degrading and that stereotyping is a form of bullying, but what she finds most worrisome is that adults are commenting on the page, approving of the behavior.
She wanted to know what can be done about it.
The short answer is - nothing.
According to a spokesperson for the Virginia Beach School System, they can only take action if there is an identifiable threat, a specific person is being bullied or if it's disrupting the school environment.
Facebook page features stereotypes of Virginia Beach high schools
Facebook also said there is nothing they could do. After some parents reported the page, they were sent a message saying it’s not considered bullying.
The original page was taken down by its creators, not Facebook, even though they said it was just meant to be funny and wasn't hurting anyone.
Dr. C. Rick Ellis, Ed.D., a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, says even if they don't view it as harmful, the people creating and commenting on these pages need to consider something else – they could be hurting themselves in the long run.
“That’s going to reflect on college applications, job applications in the future. Obviously it could have real serious, negative impacts on their future if they see they’re affiliated and associating with these types of organizations,” said Dr. Ellis.
