As we have seen on here as of late with a thread being brought forth with trash, a picture and twisted unproven wrong and slandering to many people in content; and no motive but to flame others. Defamation and slander are a serious thing. Recently on My-Space a teenager committed suicide (and many others as well) and we now have bullying laws. Once the legal community gets involved, site owners and all of those that are the bully are are put to task.

Slander Defamation and libel are defined as a false statement that injures someone's reputation and exposes them to public contempt, hatred, ridicule or condemnation.

 

 

 

        one that ALSO does not permit posters to call others names as well and carry on.

--snip-- from http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-10-10-internet-defamation-case_x.htm [ Scheff says she wanted to make a point to those who unfairly criticize others on the Internet. "I'm sure (Bock) doesn't have $1 million, let alone $11 million, but the message is strong and clear," Scheff says. "People are using the Internet to destroy people they don't like, and you can't do that."]

Many sites now detail;

[Several suicides, particularly among teenagers, have been blamed on INTERNET bullies in recent years.]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/8348611/Cyber-bullies-to-be-poked-on-Facebook-by-cyber-police.html                       

 
Raising Awareness On Cyber Bullying And Holding Kids Or Parents Responsible
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyber-bullying
 [snip] Cyber-bullying defined
Cyber-bullying has been defined as "when the Internet, cell phones or other devices are used to send or post text or images intended to hurt or embarrass another person",[2]. Other researchers use similar language to describe the phenomenon.[3][4]

Cyber-bullying can be as simple as continuing to send e-mail to someone who has said they want no further contact with the sender, but it may also include threats, sexual remarks, pejorative labels (i.e., hate speech), ganging up on victims by making them the subject of ridicule in forums, and posting false statements as fact aimed at humiliation.

Cyber-bullies may disclose victims' personal data (e.g. real name, address, or workplace/schools) at websites or forums or may pose as the identity of a victim for the purpose of publishing material in their name that defames or ridicules them. Some cyber-bullies may also send threatening and harassing emails and instant messages to the victims, while other post rumors or gossip and instigate others to dislike and gang up on the target.

Kids report being mean to each other online beginning as young as 2nd grade. According to research, boys initiate mean online activity earlier than girls do. However, by middle school, girls are more likely to engage in cyber-bullying than boys do.[5] Whether the bully is male or female, their purpose is to intentionally embarrass others, harass, intimidate, or make threats online to one another. This bullying occurs via email, text messaging, posts to blogs, and Web sites.

Though the use of sexual remarks and threats are sometimes present in cyber-bullying, it is not the same as sexual harassment and does not necessarily involve sexual predators.

Cyber-bullying vs. cyber-stalking
The practice of cyber-bullying is not limited to children and, while the behavior is identified by the same definition in adults, the distinction in age groups is sometimes referred to as cyberstalking or harassment when perpetrated by adults toward adults, sometimes directed on the basis of sex. Common tactics used by cyber-stalkers are to vandalize a search engine or encyclopedia, to threaten a victim's earnings, employment, reputation, or safety. A repeated pattern of such actions against a target by an adult constitutes cyber-stalking.   snip....

United States
Legislation geared at penalizing cyber-bullying has been introduced in a number of U.S. states including New York, Missouri, Rhode Island and Maryland. At least seven states passed laws against digital harassment in 2007. Dardenne Prairie of Springfield, Missouri, passed a city ordinance making online harassment a misdemeanor. The city of St. Charles, Missouri has passed a similar ordinance. Missouri is among other states where lawmakers are pursuing state legislation, with a task forces expected to have “cyberbullying” laws drafted and implemented.[19] In June, 2008, Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) and Rep. Kenny Hulshof (R-Mo.) proposed a federal law that would criminalize acts of cyberbullying.[20]

Lawmakers are seeking to address cyber-bullying with new legislation because there's currently no specific law on the books that deals with it. A fairly new federal cyber-stalking law might address such acts, according to Parry Aftab, but no one has been prosecuted under it yet. The proposed federal law would make it illegal to use electronic means to "coerce, intimidate, harass or cause other substantial emotional distress."

In August 2008, the California state legislature passed one of the first laws in the country to deal directly with cyber-bullying. The legislation, Assembly Bill 86 2008, gives school administrators the authority to discipline students for bullying others offline or online.[21] This law took effect, January 1, 2009.[22]

A recent ruling first seen in the UK determined that it is possible for an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to be liable for the content of sites which it hosts, setting a precedent that any ISP should treat a notice of complaint seriously and investigate it immediately.[23]

18 U.S.C. § 875(c) criminalizes the making of threats via Internet.

Harmful effects
[more at link above //]