Cyberbullying is on the rise. It is a serious problem for children, but it is not limited to them. There is, for example, an incredibly disturbing case of Cyberbullying unfolding in the blogosphere right now that involves adults. This case may actually be labeled as something much darker than Cyberbullying, as it involves actual death threats. It is an exceptional case, to be sure, but more often than not, the effects of bona fide cyberbullying are just as damaging, even if the nature of the bullying is not as blatantly sinister. At any rate, it is only a matter of time before state police, federal courts, and legislative law(s) start to take much more seriously the social ramifications and responsibilities inherent to our burgeoning world of online networking. The Internet is a wonderful medium for sharing information, but it can be used as a weapon too, unfortunately. I have seen it, and you probably have too.
There are a few solid resources for victims of online attacks: cyberbully.org, cyberbullying.us and Common Sense Media.
The following excerpt re: Cyberbullying is very enlightening (wikipedia):
Cyberbullying (also spelled Cyber-bullying, Cyber bullying or online bullying) is the term used to refer to bullying and harassment by use of electronic devices though means of e-mail, instant messaging, text messages, blogs, mobile phones, pagers, and websites. Other terms for cyberbullying are “electronic bullying,” “electronic harassment,” “e-bullying,” “sms bullying,” “mobile bullying,” “online bullying,” “digital bullying,” or “Internet bullying”.
It can constitute a computer crime. For example, in the United States it is a federal crime to anonymously “annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any person” via the Internet or telecommunication system, punishable by a fine and/or up to two years imprisonment.
Cyberbullying is willful and involves recurring or repeated harm inflicted through the medium of electronic text. According to R.B. Standler bullying intends to cause emotional distress and has no legitimate purpose to the choice of communications.
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