Written Assignment: Cyberbullying

Cyber bullying can be describes as the use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass or target someone. Technologies used by cyberbullies can range from social networking sites, emails, instant messaging or even cell phones. These avenues tend to be very effective for cuberbullies because of the reach it has to the intended target. There doesn’t need to be a specific time of day for the bullies to for example; to post a comment on a social networking site, send the intended target an email, text message or an instant message online because even if that target doesn’t view it right away, they more than likely will at a later time. Also, in this technological age we live in there are very few people without any of the technologies listed above. This pretty much guarantees that the bullies will get their point across. School districts and the Government have tried to combat cyberbullying. In terms of school districts, they have attempted to do so through assemblies, meetings, workshops which train students, parents, faculty and administrators how to recognize and respond to cyberbullying. On the government side of things, Missouri governor Matt Blunt due to the death of Megan Meier in 2006, which was as a result of cyberbullying, signed a bill outlawing cyberbulling and broadening the existing law’s scope by lifting the requirement that harassment must occur in writing or verbally over the phone. This now includes harassment from computers, text messages and other electronic devices.

Anyone over the age of 21 found guilty of cyberbullying will be tagged with a felony and could spend up to 4 years in prison. A federal cyberbullying law, also known as the Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act, is a bill introduced to the House of Representatives on April 2009. As of March 2010, the house has not passed the bill. It forbids any communication, with the intent to coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to a person, using electronic