Megan Meier Cyber Bullying Prevention Act

Cyber bullying is an ever growing problem in the era of technological advancement; many children and teens fall victim to it every day. However, methods to prevent cyber bullying are being developed. Individuals may soon be able to be prosecuted for statements made on social media due to a new bill called the Megan Meier Cyber Bullying Prevention Act. This bill is absolutely necessary because, currently, cyberbullying is virtually inescapable, it affects millions, and it leads to physical harm. If this new bill is put into play, cyber bullying could become a rare occurrence and could become much less severe than it is as of now.

Firstly, individuals who are bullied online have few means of escaping their tormentors. Before technology was common

According to the article, “What is Cyberbullying?” by the Ophelia Project, “20% of youth ages 11-18 have been a victim of cyberbulling.” 20 percent of youth is a vast number; it adds up to millions of people. The concept of cyberbullying is prominent throughout the world, and, if millions of people are being affected, then it is a major problem. To elaborate, if laws are not passed restricting the number of offenses, then the numbers will continue to grow, as cyberbullying is not a problem that will fix itself. Cyberbullying destroys millions of lives every

In the article, “Sacrificing the First Amendment to Catch Cyberbullies,” Kirk Sigmon, an opposer of the bill, says “The last time I checked, hurting someone’s feelings- even in real life- never justified criminal prosecution.” However, bullying is not simply “hurting someone’s feelings.” Bullying- in the cyber world or in real life- is a repeated action meant to cause harm to another. Bullying in the real world is criminally prosecuted; “hurting someone’s feelings” is not, as the statement is generally referring to a single occurrence. Therefore, cyberbullying should play to the same rules as regular bullying and be allowed to be counted as a criminal