Cyberbullying is harassment through electronic means such as telephone text messages, social media such as Facebook and Twitter or online blogs and bulletin boards. In normal bullying, students are given a daily break from the torment as bully and victim each go to their separate homes. But for victims of cyberbullying, there is no reprieve, as the abuse enters into their private lives. In the US, there are at least 44 states that have anti-bullying laws on the books. While only six of them use the actual word “cyberbullying”, 31 others have laws that specifically mention “electronic harassment”.
Prosecution in the UK is a little more difficult. While all schools are required to have anti-bullying policies in place, cyberbullying itself is not named as a criminal offence. Offenders in the UK would have to be charged under various other laws, including the Protection from Harassment Act of 2003. This makes prosecution much more difficult.
Authorities agree that in order to stop cyberbullying, there has to be parental involvement. Parents need to be vigilant about their children’s access to technology. They should monitor their children’s use of social media, especially children under the age of 14. Bullies are not going to simply disappear, but parents can go a long way in protecting their children from being bullied.
Go! English, ano II, n. 14 (fragmento).
De acordo com o texto, nos Estados Unidos, alguns estados têm leis específicas para assédio via meios eletrônicos. Já no Reino Unido, a instauração de processos contra praticantes de cyberbullying é mais difícil porque