Cyberbullying causes Canadian tennis star to quit
February 20, 2013
Cyberbullying has become a serious problem across the globe, as more people are falling victim to torment and abuse from their peers in school or elsewhere. Even though it is most popular among school-aged children, it does not stop adults from doing the same when a person is in the public eye.
This was the case for Canadian tennis star Rebecca Marino, who recently announced that she will be leaving the game for awhile, according to CBC News.
"Things were being written about me, and I'm quite sensitive about that … And I'm quite nosy, so I'll look it up. And then I'll realize I shouldn't have looked it up," Marino told The New York Times.
The 22-year-old explained that she would be harassed from people who felt that she "threw the match," and also read much more negative comments as well. The bullying caused her to step away from the sport after reaching the U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships in Memphis in 2012, and now she is doing so again, CTV News reports.
"I have decided to step away from tennis," Marino said in Wednesday's statement. "This was not an easy decision, but there are a number of factors that have led me to this. Factors that are part of our society and that I am more than open to discuss, which I plan to do moving forward, because I know it's part of my growth process."
Marino has already deactivated her Twitter and Facebook pages, but she made sure to thank her fans that have supported her all along before she got rid of the social media sites, the news outlet reports. It is unknown whether or not she will retire for good or come back someday down the line.
"I just need to detach myself from the social media for a while. Thank you for understanding," Marino wrote on her Facebook page before deleting it.
According to Cyberbullying.gov, there a number of ways parents can help to prevent cyberbullying if it is happening in their homes, and the most important way to do so is to always talk about it. This way, if a child is falling victim to cyberbullying, they are more likely to recognize it and tell their parents about it.
Those who want to talk about what recently happened with Marino can make calls to Canada using international calling cards.