Many students are connected to the internet, which is why it’s important for them to understand the dangers of cyberbullying.
“Quite often it comes in the form of revenge,” Bancroft OPP Constable Philippe Regamey says. “A person willingly shared a photo and all of a sudden that relationship ends.”
For kids, the charges range from a fine to community service or probation. “It could turn into a criminal record but it really depends on their age,” Regamey says. If you’re not a minor, it usually ends up as uttering threats, he points out.
There are multiple offences in relation to cyberbullying through the criminal code. Criminal harassment, uttering threats, mischief in relation to data are just a few of them. A case in the United States saw 22-year-old Michelle Carter charged with involuntary manslaughter after encouraging her boyfriend to commit through dozens of text messages. Regamey points to that example as a form of cyberbullying.
“We just need parents and individuals to talk to them about that and educate them,” Regamey says.