Hopatcong Students Get Sexting, Cyberbullying Lesson

One mistake changed Allyson Pereira's life forever.

But she hopes it will help Hopatcong sixth-graders avoid the same fate.

Pereira spoke at the middle school library Tuesday about the perils of cyberbullying. It was the third of a four-week Sussex County Center for Prevention and Counseling program.

Pereira was 16 years old when she sent a sexually explicit cellphone photo of herself to an ex-boyfriend, who then sent it to people throughout Wallkill Valley Regional High School.

"The picture would continue to haunt me the rest of my life, as it's still out there," she said.

Now an adult, Pereira has been on MTV, Good Morning America and other TV shows spreading her message. She spent about three hours Tuesday at the middle school, giving a prepared speech to children.

"You have to start younger than high school to educate kids or you won't reach them," Pereira said.

Pereira said the school asked her to substitute some of the things she was called by critics with the word "blank" during her speech to Hopatcong kids.

After Pereira's speech, CPC member Tina Thompson, Patrice Reilly and Dot DelCampo interacted with the students, asking them questions about cyberbullying.