The "Cyberbullying" issue

What do you think about the recent crackdown on "cyberbullying"? Police and the school board in my city have really been cracking down on it, and I kind of have mixed feelings about it. Like if somebody's really harassing someone and intimidating them, of course it's illegal and should be stopped. But lately, it seems like this crackdown has been used against teenagers who use nothing more than simple insults, criticize their teachers, or engage in overly "lively" debates. It's another example of zero tolerance madness, it seems.

Also, it bothers me that the police is spending its time going after 13-year-olds who call each other "idiots" over AIM, when there are murders and rapes and stuff going on in this city.

What do you think?

but if properly raised, a kid doing crap like you describe will cease upon stern notice. adults, otoh, bother the heck out of me for that type of behavior. i wrote a story once that goaded a person who took the plot personally. he cyber stalked me, the idiot. i saved all the emails. when he started to "hang out" in the same cyberspots as i, i let it be known that i had the smoking keyboard and he went away, lurking only, never joining the fun. let that be his reward.

mvs

But cyberbullying hardly seems to be a burning issue when so many children have real physical/educational/emotional needs in the offline world.

Zero tolerance is BS -- how can we apply such a term to developing humans?

have the internet..the same laws should apply there.