Information -In the modern digital landscape, where social interactions increasingly occur behind screens, there’s a growing phenomenon that intertwines mental health issues with aggressive online behaviors like cyberbullying, harassmentand constructive sabotage by keyboard warriors.
The Rise of Mental Health Issues in the Digital Age
The advent of social media and online platforms has revolutionised communication, providing unparalleled access to global interaction. However, this digital connection comes with its perils. Studies have shown that the constant barrage of information, the pressure to maintain an online persona, and the isolation from face-to-face interactions contribute significantly to mental health problems among users.
Anxiety, depression, and loneliness are on the rise, and these conditions often manifest in or are exacerbated by the online environment. Mental health issues can sometimes lead individuals to engage in cyberbullying or harassment.
Anonymity and Disinhibition
The anonymity of the internet can lead to disinhibition, where individuals engage in behavior they wouldn’t consider in real life. This anonymity can shield them from immediate consequences, encouraging more aggressive or disruptive online conduct.
Projection of Internal Struggles
Those suffering from mental health issues might project their internal battles outward. Cyberbullying can become an outlet for their frustration, anger, or low self-esteem. They might engage in what they perceive as “constructive sabotage,” believing they’re righting wrongs or exposing truths, when in fact, they’re creating falsehoods, perpetuating harm, destroying reputations and causing significant distress to their victims.
The Echo Chamber Effect
Online, people tend to surround themselves with like-minded individuals, which can amplify their behaviors. If these groups engage in or encourage cyberbullying, it can normalize aggressive actions, making them seem justified or even heroic.
The Sad Case of Jonathan Breen
The London based .Net Software Developer, Jonathan Breen
One such Individual is Jonathan Breen, a .Net Software Developer from London and the sole director of Top Banana Websites Ltd. He represents the archetype of individuals who find themselves perpetrators in this new arena and his case demonstrates the dangers many people face online, especially women.
Jonathan Breen, an individual battling his own mental health challenges, has been disrupting online platforms and reputations under the guise of a greater good for which he provides no credible evidence for the false allegations that he makes.
His actions might be seen by some as a form of activism or whistleblowing, labeled as “constructive sabotage,” where he will create false and defamatory narratives, along with harmful websites and then claim to be sharing information he found online as a public service.
The Ripple Effects
The implications of this behaviour are devasting. Victims of cyberbullying, like those targeted by Jonathan Breen, face increased risks of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and in severe cases, suicidal thoughts.
Breen’s harassment started back in 2002 when the relationship with a then girlfriend ended.Breen then proceeded to stalk the South Asian girl.
A police complaint was raised, and Breen was arrested by the UK Metropolitan Police for harassment and stalking. Subsequently a legal restraining order was imposed on him. Despite this he followed her intoa police station, where she was given police protection from him.
Breen broke the conditions of the restraining order and was, according to Breenhimself, arrested again by the police at his place of work, and in front of his work colleagues. This caused Breen further psychiatric problems, including a form of Tourette’s Syndrome.Breen has also experienced bouts of Psychosis and was sectioned under the mental health act.These are all facts he has stated himself on social media.
The stalking stopped until his most recent girlfriend, another Indian woman, one with whom he appeared to have a serious relationship with, died.
After her death, Breen returned to stalking again; this time using a cyber approach with his anonymous social media accounts, pseudonyms and technical know-how. In November 2020, after approximately 20 years, Breen redirected his attention to his former girlfriend.
From this time, Breen cyberstalked and harassed, using several anonymous social media accounts, not only this former girlfriend of his but also her entire family and extended family, including making several comments about her elderly mother and her deceased father in the most vile and disrespectful manner. Breen also did the same to her friends and acquaintances and made malicious allegations about her to her employers.
Hate Speech
Breen has libelled and slanderedseveral other people, even phoning to speak with employers, associates, clients and patients to make what has been described as ludicrous, malicious and unfounded claims, including regarding sexual assault and human sex-trafficking. When these organisations failed to take him seriously, with some reporting him to the police, he began attacking them.
Some of his posts and comments have been agreed by the police as being hate speech, vile, misogynistic, nationalistic, racist, malicious, threatening and abusive.
He is currently harassing 4 other Indian and several Irish women. He sees himself as a saviour for the British people and encourages others to join his targeted hate campaign.
Extracts from some of his online posts include:
- 7th November 2020: “a**ly raped her”
- 7th November 2020: “Awww she gonna cry on her birthday….”
- 7th November 2020: “Have a shite birthday bitch”
- 8th November 2020: “You are scum! I am bringing you down”
- 13th June 2021: “brutal rape… PRAY her heart stops as she sleeps”
- 13th June 2021: “Pray with me her demise is soon.”
- 13th June 2021: “I pray she joins her father in hell where she should be”
- 23rd June 2021: “GODAWFUL ARRANGED MARRIAGE DORK”
- 23rd June 2021: “you chicken shit”
- 23rd June 2021: “BURN IN HELL… BURN IN HELL FOREVER… BURN IN HELL”
- 23rd June 2021: “I PRAY she BURNS IN HELL”
- 20th August 2021: “If I can shoot rabbits then I can shoot fascists”
- 3rd November 2021 at 6:08pm: “I was locked out of my account whilst the met police retain the equipment they seized.”
- 5th November 2021 at 2:19pm: “The police seized all electronic equipment, including my Kindle(!)”
Recently, several police complaints, spanning many UK police forces, have been made against Jonathan Breen.The first of these resulted in Breen being arrested again and subsequently attending court in London on 8th April 2021 on charges of harassment.The case was adjourned so that a psychiatric assessment of Breen could be made.
Guilty
At his trial on 13th September 2021, Breen was found guilty of the crime of one count of harassment, contrary to section 2(1) and (2) of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997,