Defense of Cyber Bullying Being Treated as a Crime

Ritam Ray

Writing 102

Professor Klein

27 March 2012

Defense of Cyber Bullying Being Treated as a Crime

The technological revolution that has connected the world has brought many positive contributions to society. The internet especially has increased the ease with which humans can interact with each other. Social websites make it easy to become friends with, get to know, and even interact with a person without ever personally seeing or talking to them. With such increased interactions, however, also come increased problems. Cyber bullying is becoming an increasingly prevalent and serious issue in the United States. While some argue that it is not a serious offense, the consequences of cyber bullying should be taken just as seriously as with cases that do not involve technology and the punishment should be no less harsh.

Cyber bullying, as the term implies, is a form of bullying and therefore is a crime and should be treated as such (Glasner 535).

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English: A graph showing where electronic aggressi...

Bully

Cyber Bullying applies to bullying that occurs over the internet or any other related technologies. The National Crime Prevention Council defines it as "when the Internet, cell phones or other devices are used to send or post text." Another definition states it is "willful and repeated farm inflicted through the medium of electronic text" (Stewart 79). People are often tempted to use such a method of bully others because it is an impersonal method of attacking a person. There is no face to face interaction with the victim. Such a lack of contact might also make it easier for the person to justify their actions since they do not see the immediate response. The effect, however, regardless if the perpetrator is there to witness is just the same were the bullying take place in a real setting.

Cyber bulling creates an unsafe...