Kids no longer need muscles to bully and torment their peers. Some young people use Web sites, cell phones, instant messaging, chat rooms, blogs and other cyberspace options to harass, threaten and ridicule their peers. What may start as a joke can become very serious, once launched into cyberspace. The impact on the victim can be devastating and even tragic. In participating in these actions, the bully may have committed a crime, exposed his or her parents to liability or even possibly damaged his or her own prospects for getting into college or landing a job.

Cyber-bullying is a major hazard on the Internet. According to Wiredsafety.org, 85% of kids say they have been bullied online, but only 5% say they would tell their parents about the abuse. There are many things parents and kids can do to reduce online risks. I have listed some resources, like StopCyberBullying, below that can help protect against cyber bullying and online predators, who are still out there looking to target young people.