Justine Williams, 14-Year-Old Cancer Survivor, Finds Out Cyberbully Is Best Friend

Fourteen-year-old cancer survivor Justine Williams thought her struggles were behind her -- until she started receiving threatening messages from the last person she would have ever suspected.

CBS Boston reports the North Andover Middle School student received text messages that said things like, "I'm going to kill your animals," and "Set a bomb off outside your house," and "I'm going to rape you." Within a month, Williams' inbox was flooded with over 90 such messages.

Concerned for their daughter's well-being, Williams' parents took the matter to police, who uncovered the culprit -- Williams' classmate and best friend.

The bully was ordered to attend eight counseling sessions, perform 20 hours of community service and write Williams a letter of apology.

The Williams family, however, feels the punishment was too lenient. According to WCVB TV, they are considering pursuing the case in civil court.

WATCH:

Comments

[MaryfromIL]

06:06 PM on 06/09/2011

Surprisingly, bullies like to go after those that can't defend themselves, the disabled or sick, like this young girl. I've never been treated worse than I was from day one of my disability.

Total strangers outside were coming up to help me to walk, as I held onto buildings, while a cowardly coworker spread to all the managers that I was faking it. Guess it must have been a pretty good fake, since I got social security disability is just a week. Fooled that CT scan machine as well.

[5pliff5tar]

12:41 PM on 04/25/2011

8 counseling sessions and 20 hours of community service?? That's ridiculous! Throw the book at her, literally! A big 'o novel, or an iPad....yea throw an iPad at the bully!

[Randolph Greer]

06:18 PM on 04/24/2011

This has been going on forever. But only because there are a lot of bullies and cowards in powerful positions in our society who don't think this is that big of a deal . Well , IT IS THAT BIG OF A DEAL . It is such a big deal that it has to be stopped at the very first appearance of it . Whoever the bully is , they have to be immediately removed from the society . You have three choices as to what to do . You can put them into prison for the rest of their life, you can establish a separate society for them to exist on some isolated Pacific island , or you can save yourself the trouble and just execute them right then and there . Frankly , society cannot afford the expense it takes to try and treat these kind of children and if you think a middle school child is trouble, just wait till they become an adult and you find yoiurself working side by side with them for 15 to 20 years. One bully can destroy a whole community . Their cost to society is so great to that society that it cannot be calculated. I would not hesitate to say that if every bully were dealt with in middle or grade school in the manner I have suggested that it would reduce crime and victimhood in society by 90% in one generation.

[msles59130]

04:18 PM on 04/24/2011

The bully has scary, sadistic tendencies. I believe she sent these messages to a friend so she could see her suffer. She likely became friends with her due to the cancer in the first place, to enjoy the suffering up close.

These 8 counseling sessions will likely not even scratch the surface. This young woman needs serious help, and fast, or her future victims are going to pay a very steep price.

[mellow yellow]

10:23 PM on 04/23/2011

I dont' understand why this is news. Yes it's horrible, and that girl who she thought was her friend was absolutly out of line. But kids have been treating eachother this way forever. It's not right, in a perfect world everyone would be nice, but in reality kids are mean. Just because we have new ways of communicating doesn't mean it's a new problem. 20 years ago, this girl would have been putting notes in her locker, and it wouldn't have gotten farther than the princapal. no one would be suing anyone and it wouldn't be on the news. this girl needs to learn to stand up for her self and thell this girl fo Fu*ck off, she needs to learn not to worry so much what other people think, having her parents sue isn't going to help anything, it's going to teach her to go running to her parents, and when she's 30 and can't stand up for her self that's going to be a problem

[Pouncer]

05:46 AM on 05/14/2011

This article wouldn't exist if she hadn't taken a stand. When you're 14 you should have your parents handle matters like this. And believe me, telling a bully to F-off doesn't usually end the problem. They are not rational beings.They are driven by anger and hostility. Confronting them often fuels those already dangerous emotions. Her bully is obviously disturbed having threatened a one-legged girl with rape and murder. She was right not to take her on herself. Charging these people criminally or civilly may be the best way to bring about change in the ever-growing popularity of bullying kids to death.

[MaryfromIL]

05:57 PM on 06/09/2011

It's much different now than it used to be. Many more kids are bullied. In the past it might be one a class. And the bullies can be anonymous online, which encourages others to join in.

Parents are very, "not my kid" these days. They start having to pay out of their pocketbook, and it will probably be an incentive to control their bullies.

As for confronting the bully, the ones in our towns are in groups of 10 or more. And the ones they pick on are the skinny weaklings.

[Alyssa D Mallozzi]

10:04 PM on 04/23/2011

Some of these comments are getting under my skin. Some kids can take what others dish out and still remain strong. I'm not sure what combination of upbringing, personality, and emotional well-being leads to such stamina. Some kids, while they are loved by their parents, supported by them, can't handle the abuse at the hands of a bully. They crumble under the taunts. Inside, that kid feels worthless, and it's not the fault of the parents for that. I really despise the idea that bullying is simply a rite of passage for kids in school. I don't consider emotional and physical abuse part of my daily routine. Using reverse psychology to try and 'toughen up' your kid doesn't always work either.
The other thing that irritates me is that people keep ganging up on young Justine. Kids don't know everything, they're still learning about life, they make mistakes. Kids are still very trusting at that age. We keep expecting her to think as an adult would, and she's not. Have a little sympathy for the girl, for heaven's sake.

[MaryfromIL]

05:59 PM on 06/09/2011

It's called blaming the victim. If everyone could be an innocent victim, then they themselves might suffer it. Blaming a different victim makes people feel like they actually have more control than they really always do.

[lynzyluhu]

06:39 PM on 04/23/2011

I remember middle school and high school, but try very hard to forget it. I was picked on by girls and rumors were spread about me that were humiliating and hard to fight. It was so bad that even a teacher believed 4 girls over me and made me stand up and apologize to the whole grade for starting a rumor that I didn't start.
As an adult now, I look back and cringe that I didn't stand up for myself a little better, but also realize the school districts' mistakes in letting things like this go unnoticed and unpunished.
I hope America can make a change.

[MaryfromIL]

06:01 PM on 06/09/2011

Heck, you get one bad egg in the workplace, and you are being bullied all over again. Think if the employer doesn't believe you and you lose your job! Surprisingly, the onlookers are just as clueless followers of the bullies. And even reality doesn't make a difference.

[Sanders Kaufman Jr]

06:24 PM on 04/23/2011

I had a similar problem with an adult relative. We're both in our 40's, and for about 10 years he's been relentlessly harrassing me. For the first 3-5 years, it was really quite disturbing - but after a while I realized that it had nothing to do with me; and that you just shouldn't take anonymous internet threats too seriously. After all, if they were really dangerous, they wouldn't be TALKING, they'd be DOING.

The way to empower a bully is to give them attention. The way to render them impotent is to simply ignore them except for giving them the occasional punch in the face.

[MaryfromIL]

06:02 PM on 06/09/2011

Or file charges, although it might make Xmas tense.

[MexiChick67]

05:57 PM on 04/23/2011

Well, we can safely say that the bully is no longer her friend. The bully needs some serious help. I'm hoping that the counseling in one-on-one to see what is going on. I have a feeling the ex-friend was jealous of all of the attention her friend got due to her cancer. Sad.

[David Wickham]

05:29 PM on 04/23/2011

8 counseling sessions? wow-that's the equivalent of being beaten with a wet noodle

[oberon123]

04:51 PM on 04/23/2011

Wow, bullying a cancer surviving child. This kid is a sociopath who will grow up to be a serial killer. Deal with him/her now.

[logic-a-go-go]

05:32 PM on 04/23/2011

Agreed!

[Stephanie Wills]

03:55 PM on 04/23/2011

Middle school was an awful period for me. The worse three years of my life. After surviving that, I know I can survive anything. That's how bad it was for me. I was fat, with bushy hair and glasses and everyone even my "friends" teased me and put me down everyday.
I tried to commit suicide at least five times because I was so depressed and felt awful about myself.
Girls are especially horrible to each other. I don't understand why but, there needs to be more done at home and at school to teach children that this kind of behavior is not acceptable. Too many parents look the other way and chalk it up to "kids being kids". My son is only 5, and I am already having conversations with him about how bad it is to be a bully. I even encourage him to stand up for anyone if he witnesses them being picked on.

[GSR]

05:12 PM on 04/23/2011

I would suggest your experience and that of Ms Williams is a good example of why legal remedies should be pursued against the perpetrators. The emotional and likely latent physical affliction on the victims should result in hefty damages being awarded .

[roshni]

05:59 PM on 04/23/2011

I think the school should have expelled her. They simply removed her from this girl's classes, but she is still around campus.

[roshni]

05:58 PM on 04/23/2011

Thanks for sharing your story. I'm sorry you had to go through this, but the fact that you survived should give people hope that this can be over and they should speak out.

[Susy Jordan]

03:44 PM on 04/23/2011

Why did the girl's supposedly (she had thought) "best friend" do this to her??? I can't get the video to show

[roshni]

06:00 PM on 04/23/2011

There is no indication of motive. It could be that she wanted attention. it is sick.

[dennissinned]

03:43 PM on 04/23/2011

With friends like her, who needs enemies? Yes, it's a cliche but so true in this situation.

[nicenissey]

06:44 PM on 04/23/2011

Not just friend, mind you. "Best friend". How anyone can do this to a FOURTEEN-YEAR OLD cancer survivor is just beyond belief.

[romigua]

03:27 PM on 04/23/2011

Some friend.