AMARILLO, TEXAS -- It's called "smash or pass" and it's the latest thing among high school students on Facebook. Here's how it works, students photos are posted, often without their knowledge, asking other students if they would smash or pass, which means would you have sex with this person or pass. Tascosa, Palo Duro, Caprock, and Amarillo High all have the smash or pass sites, which are not affiliated with the schools. Counselors say this kind of site has them worried to say the least.
"I would think this is a form of cyber bullying, it's an abuse. Is it wrong? Yes. As a parent and as a student, I would be infuriated," said Paula Ward, an expert in cyber bullying.
Responses from students being judged varied from flattered to outrage, including one who asked who posted their picture.
The Rebel site posted our intent to do this story. The site manager, wondered if what he created was illegal, while another said it was all in good fun. Still another suggested we would spin this story, about having sex with someone based on their picture into something sex oriented. He also claimed to have had "enough run-ins with media and the law to know their games."
A preview to this story was posted Wednesday, and almost immediately after it was posted comments started coming in.
One viewer wrote, "these are horrible, talk about ruining someone's self esteem."
Another wrote, "WOW This takes our teenagers to an all new level. Very sad and shows many parents are not aware of what their kids are doing on Facebook. First thing I did was look through the friends list to see if any of my son's friends were friends with these sites...what a relief that my son and his friends are not a part of this. We had a long talk about this type of behavior and the subject matter."
Counselors are available if students feel they're being bullied or harassed, but because this takes place outside of school, there's nothing the district can do, unless it spills over onto the campuses.
"It's just to me like an R-Rated movie...you don't need to watch it, you don't need to hear it, you don't need to see it, and you don't need to allow them to look at it. I would put my foot down and say, "You're not
looking at it."
Ward adds it's really up to the parents to monitor their kids and the sites their logging on to.
"It's one of those things that I wish we could stop it but we don't have the power to do that, as long as it is not an illegal thing, its just immoral."
The computers on the campuses don't allow students to get on Facebook, according to Ward.
"They are getting on Facebook either with their iPhones, or at home, or by some other means. So, therefore its out of our hands basically we can't stop it."
Below are the links, to these smash or pass sites, but we must warn you that a large percent of the language is graphic.
Smashorpass Rebels
Palo Duro
CaprockSmash orPass
Related Links
Smash or Pass predators
Smash or Pass studnts voting on wanting sex
