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Accused troll Brenda Leyland's death sparks debate over how (or if) cyberbullies should be confronted

Brenda Leyland, the person behind thousands of tweets - many of them offensive - directed at the parents of missing toddler Madeleine McCann, was found dead on Saturday. In the parlance of the internet, Brenda Leyland was considered a Troll. The decision to expose her has sparked a controversy over how - or if - cyber-abusers should be publicly shamed....
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The Current27:27Accused troll Brenda Leyland's death sparks debate over how to confront cyberbullies - Oct 8, 2014
Brenda Leyland, the person behind thousands of tweets - many of them offensive - directed at the parents of missing toddler Madeleine McCann, was found dead on Saturday. In the parlance of the internet, Brenda Leyland was considered a Troll. The decision to expose her has sparked a controversy over how - or if - cyber-abusers should be publicly shamed.
shaming-troll-twitterinsert.jpg

Just one of the many nasty and hostile tweets,now at the centre of a British controversy over the treatment of suspected cyberbullies.

Last Wednesday, a Sky News reporter confronted 63-year-old Brenda Leyland. She was accused of tweeting abusive messages aimed at the parents of missing girl, Madeleine McCann. Sky News confronted Brenda Leyland.


Shortly after the report was broadcast, Ms. Leyland was found dead in a hotel room. Police say the death is not suspicious.

The story raises questions about dealing with cyberbullies, and whether it's appropriate for the media or public to publicly shame those believed to be trolling.

Claire Hardaker is a lecturer of linguistics at Lancaster University in England. She lectures and writes about online aggression and manipulation.

Paula Todd is an investigative journalist and author. Her latest book is Extreme Mean: Trolls, Bullies and Predators Online.


We requested an interview with Sky News. It declined and sent this statement:

"We were saddened to hear of the death of Brenda Leyland. Sky News has a strict set of editorial guidelines and we believe we dealt with the story in a responsible manner. It would be inappropriate to speculate or comment further at this time."


What do you think is the best way to deal with trolls? Should they be called out publicly? Or is there a better way to stop online bullies? Let us know.

Tweet us @thecurrentcbc. Or e-mail us through our website. Find us on Facebook. Call us toll-free at 1 877 287 7366. And as always if you missed anything on The Current, grab a podcast.

This segment was produced by The Current's Shannon Higgins, Marc Apollonio and Ines Colabrese..


Nick Thune swoons over his love for the internet

We've been talking today about the internet, both as a unfortunate forum for bullies, but also as a transforming technology that's helped bring people together (Listen to Douglas Coulpland interview here).

We gave today's Last Word to comedian Nuck Thune looking back to the early days of the web and how he first fell in love, online.

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