The recent vandalism of Robert Frost’s Vermont home raised concerns in the community and online.

Dan Barry has an interesting article in the New York Times that chronicles the recent break in and vandalism of a Vermont Farmhouse once owned by American poet Robert Frost. Like so many news stories of late, this piece also involves social networking and teenage online behavior.

According to authorities in Ripton, Vermont, approximately 30 teenagers broke into the historic house and caused over $10,000 worth of damages.

As Barry notes:

“Mix 30 or more young people with 150 cans of beer, a few bottles of liquor and some drugs, put them in a museumlike, unheated house in the dead of winter, and the ensuing discussions will not center on [Frost’s poetry]. Some played drinking games, some got sick, some did damage, and all followed that snowy path out, bound together by a secret that could not keep.”

Eventually the damage was discovered, along with the identities of the students involved. Middlebury College, which owns the property, dispatched a crew to mend walls and restore the house to its original condition. Several youths, apparently unversed in country things, have been charged with unlawful trespassing and unlawful mischief.

Police and community leaders are shocked at the indifference and destruction wrought by the students. One teen went so far as to request a copy of his mug shot to use on his Facebook profile, which brings clarity to that indifference in the online world. Parents should talk to their children about responsible actions in the real world, but as this and other stories show, it is increasingly important for parents to educate their kids about acting responsibly online.

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