A schoolgirl is warning others to be aware of an app that has allowed bullies to comment vile death threats anonymously on her social media posts.
Jazzminn Chester, 14, was told to ‘cut herself to death’ and ‘just do people a favour and commit’ by anonymous trolls using the app Sarahah – which has over 300 million users worldwide.
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It can be used in conjunction wioth Snapchat and allows people to give feedback on social media pictures without revealing their identity.
Creators of Sarahah claim it can be used as a ‘self development tool’ to ‘discover areas of improvement’ and was originally intended for people to use in the workplace.
It’s popularity soared late last year but Jazzmin says it has become a tool used for cyber bullying.
Jazzminn, from Grimsby in Lincolnshire, says these kinds of messages are common among users of the app, and that they can often appear within minutes of a post being published.
Some teenagers have received abuse from being called horrible names, to as far as as being goaded into self harm or suicide.
‘I really just want to make people aware that this is going on, because it could end up with something very tragic happening,’ Jazzmin said.
‘This all started with me when I was feeling a bit down and put a post up on Snapchat and asked people to say something nice to try and pick myself up, and I instantly starting getting comments telling me to cut and kill myself which is just horrible.
‘I have been getting an awful lot of abuse and threats, but it is not just me, it is happening to everyone, nearly everyone I know in the town is on Sarahah.
‘In my past I have had problems with self-harm and mental health, and if my mother wasn’t here to support me I don’t know what might have happened as these messages really hurt you.’
Lorretta Chester, Jazzminn’s mother, said she was shocked when she was told of the type of abuse her daughter was getting.
She has since contacted the police and would like to make other parents aware of the dangers.
Lorretta said: ‘I can’t believe there is something out there that makes it so easy to send these horrible and threatening messages, without any real repercussions.
‘Jazzminn has been lucky that she has a good support network around her, but others can often bottle this kind of thing up until eventually they reach a breaking point.
‘I just want to make parents aware that are children are using this app, and it is leading to an awful lot of bullying, it is really just scary.’
Humberside Police have confirmed that they are looking into a report they received regarding online bullying.
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Inspector Rich Osgerby said: ‘We know the impact that cyber bullying can have on children and teenagers, with many feeling like there is no safe haven any more.
‘The impact on adults shouldn’t be under estimated either. A large proportion of cyber-related incidents reported to the force involve online bullying or harassment.
‘For the bully, it is all too easy to post malicious and hurtful posts. Moderation is limited and most posts go live before they can be reported, so it is understandable that people can be left feeling vulnerable.
‘However, cyber bullying is not something you have to put up with and there are ways of dealing with it.’
Metro.co.uk has contacted Sarahah for comment.
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