Kathleen Edward, Girl Taunted Online While Battling Huntington's Disease, Dies.The Michigan girl 9 years old, Facebook taunted by neighbors, as she was suffering from a terminal illness, died Wednesday, according to WXYZ-TV.Kathleen Edward of Trenton, Michigan, died of Huntington's disease, the same degenerative genetic disorder of the brain that took the life of his mother in 2009.
Back in late 2010, 33 years old, Jennifer Petkov, who lived in the same block as the family of Kathleen, apparently cyber stalking began the girl.
In a Facebook page under the name of Petkov, had pictures of Kathleen's mother, Laura, in the arms of the Grim Reaper and Kathleen above a set of crossbones. Residents also accused Petkov and her husband Scott, of building a coffin, put it in his truck and drive past the house of Edward, sound the horn.
When asked by a reporter from Detroit television station WJBK's why posted the photos, Jennifer Petkov said it was for "personal satisfaction" and that upset the boy's grandmother. At that time, the two engaged in a longstanding dispute Kathleen's grandmother said he was involved Petkov upset because she believes her children were not invited to a birthday party for Grandma pulled.
Girl's plight caught the attention of the world, and the media, attacking Petkov pages rose in line. The Petkovs also received death threats and had thrown eggs at his house. Jennifer Petkov later apologized to the family of Edward, a local newspaper saying that his actions were "ignorant."
In February 2011, the news website reported that Petkov MLive.com pleaded guilty to assaulting a neighbor and as part of an agreement, agreed to serve 18 months’ probation and ordered to leave home and stay away from neighbors as well as undergo a psychological evaluation.
At the time the news broke bullying, mental health experts told ABCNews.com that without knowing more about the Petkovs, it is difficult to say exactly why the couple behaved the way they did. Experts believe it could be a variety of reasons for their behavior, including poor conflict resolution skills, lack of moral development and the desire to intimidate.
An "extreme case" of the Cyber-bullying
"This is probably the most extreme case [of cyber-bullying] I've heard," said Cheryl Dellasega, author and professor of humanities at Penn State University College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania. "It's another way that people can say things that are really cruel not to tell someone's face. They are angry, resentful and jealous and put it on Facebook knowing that someone else will."
Peter Shera, a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Virginia and author of several books on bullying, Petkov said that if that kind of behavior exhibited is more indicative of the inability to resolve conflicts.
"We have very good skills in handling conflict," said Sher. "We have sufficient mechanisms for socializing people to civility."
Dr. Ken Robbins, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin, said: "Some people do not complete moral development and not learn about empathy or guilt or remorse."
It is also characterized as bullying behavior, and said that adults who are bullies lash out at others for the same reason children are bullies.
"It's a way to feel as if they were taking control of a situation, the acquisition of power by demeaning others and making others feel humiliated."
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