Cyberbullying Laws
With the delivery of the first "you've got mail" message, cyber-crime launched. And since the majority of people now adopt text messaging and social networking sites as the preferred method of communication, cyberbullying has become one of the worst cyber-crimes yet. Cyberbullying has many definitions, but the most accepted is: "when a person or group of people threaten, harass, tease or embarrass someone by use of a cell phone, Internet, email or any other electronic communication."
Other People Are Reading
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Misconceptions
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Although most stories of cyberbullying seen in the news revolve around tweens and teens, there are just as many cases of cyberbullying taking place among adults. Like tweens and teens, adults can be embarrassed to go to authorities and file complaints because they have heard, when they do complain, misinformed adults tell them to "suck it up; bullying is just part of the rite of passage to adulthood," or they are treated as if they instigated the cyberbullying.
Local Cyberbullying Laws
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Most local laws do not cover "cyberbullying" as such, but do cover "bullying" in general. More and more school districts are adding cyberbullying policies to their overall bullying policy to help prevent the ever-increasing level of teen suicides associated with cyberbullying. To find out what your local community is doing to fight cyberbullying, contact your local police department and school superintendent. If your community does not have a policy, act as the catalyst for getting a cyberbullying policy or law on the books.
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State Cyberbullying Laws
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More than 35 states have anti-bullying laws specifically mandating school districts adopt anti-bullying policies. And 15 states now have some type of cyberbullying law on the books, and another seven with pending legislation before their state legislators. Missouri and California have passed the strongest laws protecting victims of cyberbullying while handing down the harshest punishment to the cyber-bully. Each year more and more states are passing laws protecting children and adults alike from these types of attacks.
Federal Cyberbullying Laws
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On April 2, 2009, a federal level bill addressing cyberbullying was placed before the House of Representatives titled the "Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act" (Bill H.R. 1966). The Megan Meier case caused law enforcement, parents and advocates to realize that in some cases adults were perpetrating some of the crimes, which may allow some jurisdictions to look at cyberbullying as a form of child abuse when an underage minor is involved.
Anti-Cyberbullying Crusade
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Cyber-predators, whether cyber-bullies, cyber-stalkers or cyber-sex predators, are all preying on unsuspecting people on the Internet. They do not fully understand the size of these crimes or the emotional devastation it has caused to thousands of families. Some of the most tragic teenage suicides over the last few years have been attributed to some type of cyber-crime. Because we have never faced anything in history like this pandemic, this crusade has now become an American issue, not a left, right, republican or democrat issue.
What You Can Do
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Go visit your local law enforcement, city council, PTA, school district and chamber of commerce. Share with them the magnitude of cyberbullying and what happens when people in authority turn a blind eye to the crime. Physical bullying is bad enough, but in most cases you can see the evidence and intervene. With cyberbullying, you may not see the signs until it is too late.
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References
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- Photo Credit Photo by Troy Dooly
