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The 5 Most Shocking Realities Of The High School Catfish Phenomenon: Unmasking The Twisted Truth

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The "High School Catfish" phenomenon has transcended simple online deception, evolving into a complex and often horrifying form of cyber-abuse that targets minors. As of December 2025, the conversation around this topic is dominated by the chilling, real-life case of a Michigan mother who catfished her own daughter, a story brought to international attention by the Netflix documentary *Unknown Number: The High School Catfish*. This specific incident, involving a betrayal of the deepest trust, has forced parents, educators, and law enforcement to confront the dark psychological motives and severe legal consequences of creating a fake online identity to manipulate high school students. This article dives deep into the most recent and relevant high school catfishing cases, providing a crucial, up-to-date look at the psychology, the shocking consequences, and the essential steps for prevention in the digital age.

The Catfish Exposed: Kendra Licari's Disturbing Profile and Sentencing

The most infamous and recent case of a high school catfish involves former Beal City Public Schools employee, Kendra Gail Licari, whose actions spanned nearly two years and became the subject of a global true-crime documentary. Her profile and the details of her case offer a stark look into the extreme end of online deception.
  • Name: Kendra Gail Licari
  • Alias: Used various fake online identities, including an "unknown number," to harass her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend.
  • Location of Incident: Beal City, Isabella County and Clare County, Michigan.
  • Victims: Her own daughter, Lauryn Licari, and her then-boyfriend, Owen McKenny.
  • Timeline of Harassment: The campaign of vulgar, abusive, and threatening text messages and social media posts began in October 2020.
  • Motive: While never fully clarified, psychological experts suggest a complex mix of narcissistic traits, a desire for control, and a sadistic need to manipulate her daughter's life and relationship.
  • Initial Charges: Five felony charges, including cyberstalking a minor and two counts of misuse of telecommunications.
  • Plea and Sentencing: Licari pleaded guilty to two charges in February 2024. She was sentenced to 60 days in jail and 18 months of probation. Three of the initial charges were dropped as part of a plea deal.
  • Current Status: As of late 2024, she had completed her jail time and is serving her probation. Lauryn Licari, the primary victim, graduated from Beal City High School in 2024 and is now playing collegiate softball, a testament to her resilience.
The severity of the case, which required the involvement of the Michigan State Police and specialized digital forensics to trace the messages back to Licari's home IP address, highlights the sophisticated nature of modern catfishing investigations.

The 5 Most Shocking Realities of High School Catfishing

The Licari case, alongside numerous other incidents reported to the eSafety Commissioner and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), reveals critical, often disturbing, truths about catfishing in a high school context.

1. It's Not Always About Romance—It's About Control

The common perception of a catfish is someone seeking a romantic relationship for financial gain (romance scams). However, in a high school setting, the motivation is overwhelmingly about social manipulation and control. The perpetrator, often a peer or, shockingly, a parent like Kendra Licari, seeks to ruin a reputation, break up a relationship, or simply exert power over the victim. The messages are frequently characterized by cyberbullying, threats, and extreme emotional abuse, designed to isolate the victim from their support network.

2. The Psychological Toll is Devastating and Long-Lasting

High school catfishing is a form of psychological warfare that exploits the vulnerability and developing identity of adolescents. Victims like Lauryn Licari and Owen McKenny endured nearly two years of relentless harassment. The psychological entities involved are profound:
  • Trauma and Anxiety: The constant fear of the unknown harasser.
  • Distrust: The inability to trust friends, family, or new online contacts.
  • Isolation: The catfish often demands secrecy or drives a wedge between the victim and their peers.
  • Cognitive Distortions: The victim begins to question their own reality and judgment due to the sophisticated manipulation.
The emotional and mental health consequences necessitate professional support and often involve long-term therapy to process the betrayal and abuse.

3. Legal Consequences Are Severe, Even for Minors

While "catfishing" itself is not a specific federal crime in the U.S., the actions associated with it carry serious legal penalties, especially when minors are involved. The charges against Kendra Licari—cyberstalking and misuse of telecommunications—are typical. Other potential charges include:
  • Online Harassment: Sending repeated, unwanted, and offensive communications.
  • Identity Theft: Using another person's identifying information without permission.
  • Sextortion: Threatening to release explicit images unless a demand is met (a major risk in high school catfishing).
  • Computer Crimes: Unauthorized access to a computer or network, often used to gather information for the catfish profile.
For minors, disciplinary action can range from school suspension (in the case of internal high school catfishing) to juvenile court proceedings and criminal charges, depending on the severity of the offense.

4. The Catfish is Often Closer Than You Think

The shocking revelation in the *Unknown Number* documentary—that the perpetrator was a trusted parent—underscores a critical reality: the high school catfish is rarely a random stranger from a foreign country. They are often someone with intimate knowledge of the victim's life, social circle, and vulnerabilities. This proximity allows them to create a highly believable fake online identity with specific details that resonate with the target, making the deception incredibly difficult to detect. This entity could be a jealous classmate, a former friend, a disgruntled ex-partner, or, in the most disturbing cases, a family member.

5. Digital Forensics is the Ultimate Unmasking Tool

The downfall of the most successful catfishes, including Licari, always comes down to digital forensics. No matter how many burner phones, VPNs, or fake social media accounts are used, digital trails remain. Key entities in the investigation process include:
  • IP Address Tracing: The primary method used by the Michigan State Police to link the messages to Licari's home.
  • Metadata Analysis: Examining the data embedded in images or messages to find the source device.
  • Social Media Platform Cooperation: Demanding data from platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok via court order.
The lesson for both victims and perpetrators is clear: your digital footprint is permanent, and law enforcement has increasingly sophisticated tools to follow the trail of online abuse.

Essential Steps for High School Students and Parents: Prevention and Protection

Given the rising sophistication of high school catfishing, proactive steps are essential for digital safety. Parents and teens must work together to establish a culture of open communication and digital literacy.

For Students (The Victims):

  • Reverse Image Search: If you receive a photo from a new online acquaintance, use a reverse image search (like Google Images or TinEye) to see if the picture is widely used or associated with other profiles. This is the single most effective way to spot a stolen identity.
  • Insist on Video Chat: A genuine person will not have a persistent, believable excuse for avoiding a video call. If they avoid video chat for more than a few weeks, they are likely a catfish.
  • Guard Personal Information: Be wary of sharing sensitive details, especially anything that could be used for sextortion or financial scams, such as bank details or private photos.
  • Trust Your Gut: If a relationship feels too intense, moves too fast, or the person’s story seems inconsistent, it is a major red flag.

For Parents (The Protectors):

  • Open Dialogue: Regularly discuss your teen’s online relationships without judgment. Create a safe space for them to report online harassment or suspicion without fear of losing their phone privileges.
  • Learn the Platforms: Understand how social media manipulation works on platforms your teen uses (e.g., Discord, WhatsApp, Instagram).
  • Document Everything: If you suspect catfishing, immediately save screenshots of all communications, profile names, and dates. This documentation is critical for any official report to the school, local police, or the FBI.
  • Involve Authorities: Do not try to handle severe cyberstalking or threats alone. Contact your local police department or the Michigan State Police (or equivalent state agency) immediately. The Licari case proves that digital forensics is necessary to catch the perpetrator.
The high school catfish is a disturbing symbol of how modern technology can be weaponized for psychological abuse. By understanding the motives, recognizing the red flags, and leveraging the power of digital literacy, the community can better protect the most vulnerable members of the Gen Z and Gen Alpha generations from this insidious form of deception.
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