On Monday, CNet.com reported that California may be the next state to join the coalition against cyberbullying. That is encouraging news, but not unless you understand what cyberbullying is and how serious its consequences can be.
Cyberbullying is pretty much what it sounds like – aggravated harassment transmitted through technological means, such as emails, text messages, cell phone communications, pagers, or perhaps most notably, social networking websites.
I contend that the last example is “most notable” because of the tragedy that befell Megan Meier.
In October of 2006, after a series malicious online messages—one stating that the “world would be better off without her—” Megan committed suicide by hanging herself in her bedroom closet. She was thirteen-years-old.
The messages, sent with popular social network MySpace, came from “Josh,” a 16-year-old boy with whom Megan had been chatting over the past weeks. This would be another lamentable story of a soured friendship taken to extremes... only there’s one problem: Josh doesn’t exist.
Allegedly, a neighbor and mother of Megan’s former friend created the account under false pretenses (which violates MySpace terms and agreements of services). She communicated with Megan under the alias of a sixteen year old boy— Josh— creating a friendly, flirty rapport before crushing the girl with hateful messages.
Missouri Governor Matt Blunt signed a bill just last month prohibiting cyberbullying through such modern mediums. According to the Associated Press, the bill redefined harassment communicated by word of mouth and phone calls, but also “from computers, text messages and other electronic devices.”
Perhaps taking an interest in this improvement, Assemblyman Ted Lieu of Torrance, California proposed Assembly Bill 86. Under the bill, any student who “cyberbullies” a fellow peer runs the risk of being permanently expelled from school.
CNet.com reported that on Monday, the bill was approved by the Senate with a 21-11 vote; it is currently being revised with Senate amendments. If the amendments also pass a vote, the bill will go on for a final approval from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Stay tuned for more updates on this legal matter as it unfolds.
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