“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is a popular adage that almost everyone has heard. However, it could not be more false.

   Regular face-to-face bullying has evolved into attacks made online, with the internet acting as an easy cover for  bullies’ tracks. With the growth of social media, attacking people using different accounts is seen everywhere, and it gets worse as others join in. What is unsettling is the lengths that both the bullies and the victims are willing to take. As a matter of fact, 4,400 young people commit suicide every year because of cyberbullying, as stated by nobullying.com. Despite these heinous crimes, there are no serious standards of punishments for the bullies.

   One of the first cyberbullying cases involved Ryan Halligan, who struggled in various aspects of academically and physically. His classmates, seeing that his difficulties made him different, chose him to be the target of their bullying. People creating false rumors, and it ultimately resulted in an early end for Halligan when he hung himself in the bathroom. The sad part is that there were no criminal charges after Halligan’s death, letting the perpetrators go free.  

   While some action is being taken to pass new laws about cyberbullying, it does not help.  People do not understand that words can hurt. Some think that bullying should be punished, while others think that it should not. The people who think cyberbullying should not be punished think it would be a violation of freedom of speech.

   This may be true; however, when someone goes to desperate lengths to get rid of their suffering due to hateful comments, the right to freedom of speech should not be used to defend the perpetrator. The person is making their victim feel insecure and has even reduced them to a place where he or she does not even want to be in this world. This is not a phenomenon that we should be encouraging. However, because no countermeasures are being taken, it is exactly what we are doing.  

   For simple acts of cyberbullying, such as teasing or spreading of rumors, simple community service and the monitoring of these activities should suffice. This should only be implemented if the victim is still alive and little to no physical or mental harm has been inflicted.  This is the best-case scenario.

   For more intense acts of cyberbullying like hate crimes, death threats, and the posting of private information, jail time should definitely be a punishment. This would involve the cyberbully being charged with the counts of hate crime, invasion of privacy, and, in the cases where the victim has passed away, murder.  

   The simple truth is that whenever one makes another feel insecure, emotionally depressed, or fearful about his privacy, there is no doubt that the perpetrator needs to be punished.  

   Many say that the children are the future of the country, the hope. How can that be if many of them attack each other and pass away before even getting the opportunity to make a future for themselves?

   In retrospect, if you or a loved one are being cyberbullied, get the help that you need.  Do not let the cyber bullies take away your destiny.