Mount Alvernia principal urges ministry support as three cyberbullying suspects await charges

Three students taken into custody over a string of cyberbullying incidents remain in lock-up this evening, with police in St. James expected to formally lay charges against them soon.

The development follows an attack linked to Mount Alvernia High School that left a teenager at the institution with lasting emotional harm. Officers recently arrested the trio from the school and have pledged to continue investigating the matter, as well as other reports of cyberbullying in the parish. Authorities believe additional persons may be involved.

As the academic year draws to a close, most school administrators across Jamaica are focused on winding down operations. At Mount Alvernia, however, officials are focused on confronting online harassment affecting pupils. Principal Keisha Wine said schools across St. James are working together on the issue, which she described as a national concern.

Wine said staff have worked closely with school resource officers to support affected students, but she believes available resources remain insufficient.

"I'm calling on the Ministry of Security as well as our own education ministry to try at best to alleviate this sort of criminal offense that is affecting our students here at Mount Alvernia High School as well as other students within our country," she said.

Wine stressed that law enforcement alone cannot resolve the problem. She pointed to adults who engage in cyberbullying and urged families to better understand its impact and the importance of respecting others' privacy.

"If the homes are not equipped with understanding the effects and respecting other persons privacy, I suppose we will not get much from our students within our school walls," she added.

While police pursue their inquiries, Wine's appeal underscores growing pressure on schools, families, and government agencies to respond to online abuse before the start of the new term.