As virtual school yard becomes more cut through than the real school hallways, cyberbullying has become a staple of the student experience. Parents and teachers have long fought against cyberbullying and now they may be able to seek legal assistance. Nova Scotia legislation to protect youth and adults from cyberbullying was pas on Wednesday, August 7th. The laws were pushed forward after another tragic suicide by a cyberbullying victim. Rehtaeh Parsons died in April after destructive images of an sexual assault were passed around her high school. Cyberbullying has be growing in the public eye as these actions are much more than schoolyard squabbles and can affect children and adults alike.
Until now, there hasn’t been any laws regarding the consequences of cyberbullying. The provincial legislature of Nova Scotia is the first of its kind in the nation. Under the law “residents can sue or seek a protection order from the courts if they or their children are being cyberbullied. Breach of the order can result in a jail sentence of up to six months or a fine of up to $5,000”. If the bully of the minor is another minor then the parents will be held responible for their child’s actions. While many parents of victims are encouraged by the new legislation others argue that the new bill doesn’t go far enough. A gap that needs to be addressed is the “distribution of “intimate images” without prior consent”. The distribution of such images is often what sets off the abusive spiral of of cyberbulling both Rehtaeh Parsons and Amanda Todd where haunted by such images that they felt they couldn’t escape from. Until law enforcement can more easily search for transmission data, victims will struggle to protect their online privacy.
Do you think the new laws will help protect the victims of cyberbullying or at they too little too late?
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