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
