Video nasties
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Freedom of expression and the right to know are mantras of a society which congratulates itself on its supposed liberalism and its technological mastery. The internet has given us worldwide communication and instant access to limitless information -- and these are wonderful things.
But when a young girl can be beaten by mindless savages on a Dublin street, just so that her pain and terror can be videoed and posted on a social networking site for the gratification of any number of sick voyeurs, we must re-evaluate the price we set on freedom of expression.
When vulnerable young people can be vilified and threatened with hurtful, insulting messages, or held up to ridicule before countless numbers of their peers, we must set about finding a way to control the monster.
Networking sites are not, in themselves, monstrous. The monster comes to life when sadistic bullies choose to use them as the tools of their perverse and cruel activities.
Millions use the sites simply as fun methods of communication. Those who visit YouTube, for example, to check out new rock bands, or to view amusing home videos see no harm in it.
However, social networking sites also hold a sinister fascination for the evil-minded.
In the past, neo-Nazi groups have gleefully posted their messages of hate, Islamist extremists have used the internet to broadcast propaganda clips of captive American soldiers being slaughtered. Teenage gangs, not in New York, not in London, but in Dublin have been known to scour the streets for victims for their sadistic camera-recorded videos.
Now a study commissioned by this newspaper and RTE's 'Prime Time' has quantified the shocking extent of the potentially murderous phenomenon.
What can be done?
Anti-bullying guidelines for schools are currently being brought up to date to cover intimidation through the use of mobile phones and the internet. Garda authorities have called for increased control over video sharing websites.
Most importantly, parents have to familiarise themselves with an internet world that can illuminate their children's lives but can also expose them to great danger.
And we must acknowledge that the sadistic bullies who torture their victims to the point of suicide and beyond are also someone's children.
