Alex Reid

I applaud and fully support the decision of the Canadian Teachers Federation (CTF) to lobby the government to make cyberbullying a separate criminal offense. I see cyberbullying as one of the core Internet issues because simply put, it’s abuse – no matter the medium.

It is the anonymity that differentiates cyberbullying from physical harassment.

The word “cyberbullying” implies it’s simple playground teasing, but the definition goes as deep as threats against one’s life and severe social manipulation such as the case with the woman in Missouri who played a hoax that ended with a young teenager committing suicide as a result. In fact the CTF is coming from the viewpoint that it’s not only students who fall victims to social manipulation, but teachers are regularly threatened. Despite the word “Cyberbullying”, it exists beyond the playground.

Of course, the legal recognition of this new offense must also allocate an increase to police resources to investigate and help prosecute offenders.