WHAT ARE THE LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF CYBERBULLYING?
Many people are now witnessing cyberbullying as technology is getting advanced gradually. Researches
have given us insight that half of the students are the target of cyberbullying by receiving hate and bad
comments online.
What is Cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying refers to any harassment which is done by the use of technology, it involves imposing
emotional pain and embarrassment towards its victims. Cyberbullying includes sending inappropriate and
harassing texts to someone, posting embarrassing information which may include posting pictures and
rumors online or bashing someone online publically. There are several cyberbullying legal consequences
which should be understood by all the teenagers, as they are the one most involved.
The worst thing about cyberbullying is that the victim cannot get rid of it, they are being humiliated
everywhere they go. They do not feel safe even in their homes too, they feel haunt everywhere they go.
Traditional bullying includes only in a certain place for example in school; when the school timing ends,
so does your stress. In cyberbullying, it feels like there is no escape.
Social media platforms have made harassment easy, many people all around the world face cruelty and
hate on daily basis. It has now become a part of lives and its consequences are significant. People are now
getting immune to all the hate they receive. when people accept these things, they become cruel and it
will be so difficult and hard to change the perception of people. Due to which the rate of cyberbullying
will increase day by day.
In many cases, people who bash someone online never consider themselves cyberbullies. In actual cases
they are, a person bullying or harass any other person online it includes cyberbullying.
Some of the examples of cyberbullying are:
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Harassing any person online by humiliating, shaming, sending hate, or bashing them.
Making threats to kill them or causing them to harm physically.
Posting inappropriate information about someone or spreading rumors.
Committing hate crimes based on gender, race, or religion.
Overall cyberbullying has significant consequences, it is so hateful and cruel and only gives rise to more
hate which never ends. To face this, issue all the authorities, leaders, educators, and lawyers are trying
their best to face the cyberbullying legal consequences.
Cyberbullying and law:
Cyberbullying is a crime and there can be many cyberbullying legal consequences. If teenagers don't
understand the law and involve in some kind of inappropriate actions, they will have caught in many legal
troubles.
For instance, if a person takes and sends their photos willingly many states still consider this against the
law and a part of cyberbullying. So teenagers need to understand the law and the cyberbullying legal
consequences.
Although in several states, there is a law that addresses particularly towards cyberbullying. So the laws
overlap with harassment, civil right, or many are considered in criminal law. For example; if someone is a
victim of cyberbullying based on religion, race, sexuality, or other similar things then this type of
cyberbullying usually overlaps with discriminatory harassment.
Some cases also end up in court while others end up in the charge of criminal activity or harassment and
violation under the computer fraud and abuse act.
As technology is developing rapidly, so is cyberbullying. They both are directly proportional to each other,
as the usage of it has also increased. Every other child has gadgets from where they can have access to
everything.
Cyberbullying has increased in the form of sharing intimate pictures without the consent of the other
person. This type of behavior occurs in a variety of situations; in many cases, it happens in a form of
revenge. Whatever the situation might be, it has many negative impacts on a person's self-esteem, mental
health which leads them to take their own lives.
Judges have now the authority to take their actions and remove such images without the consent of
anyone. Anyone who did this crime of distributing an intimate photo without consent should face the
cyberbullying legal consequences. For example:
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They should be imprisoned for more than five years.
The gadgets used by them should be seized.
Other laws which are related to cyberbullying are:
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Unauthorized use of data.
Fraud over identity.
Fake messages and phone calls.
Inflicting threats.
If someone is being the victim of cyberbullying, they should contact immediately with the police. There is
no need to be scared or thought about the consequences they can do. They are not as tough as they seem
online because there are no facial cues and can easily put someone under pressure.
Collect your evidence, keep all the messages, photos, links everything. Screenshot all the messages and
keep them safe in case they got deleted by them. present all your evidence in front of the police and prove
that you are being bullied. Then the cyberbullying legal consequences are not so easy. Depending on your
case and all the circumstances, it might include a fine of hundreds and thousands of dollars. They also
could face imprisonment of few years.
Civil liability and cyberbullying:
Cyberbullying results in many harms towards its victim, they feel like their life should end now. Feelings
haunted where ever they go and being the target of all the hate and people talking about them, causes
severe damage to their mental health. Tragically, it leads them towards self-harm or taking their own lives.
Victims require therapy to get hold of their fears and challenge it, and other forms of care from their
family and friends. although it’s new in the field of law, so there is no specific law towards it and the courts
still have not decided the punishments and have not determined the requirements to do well in a civil
statement against cyberbullying. The law of negligence supports this intention that any person who causes
harm or inflicted emotional pain on someone should be liable for all the damage.
Keep in minds, say no to all cyberbullying crimes it is better for us and for our future generations to Step
forward for yourself and raise voice without the feeling of fears. Because it’s better to stand earlier than
to regret later.