Cyberbullying: Evaluating the Need for New Legislation in the UK

This essay explores the crucial need for new legislation to combat cyberbullying, which is defined as harassment through digital devices. It examines the various forms of cyberbullying, including those occurring on social media, through emails, and via SMS, and highlights the negative impact of such actions, including humiliation, embarrassment, and potential criminal behavior. The essay delves into the existing legal framework, differentiating between civil and criminal laws, and discusses the application of laws related to defamation, harassment, and the sharing of intimate images without consent. It emphasizes the importance of new legislation to protect individuals and society, addresses the lack of specific cyberbullying laws in the UK, and advocates for awareness programs, especially in schools, to educate children about the risks and preventive measures. The conclusion reiterates the significance of new legislation to effectively address cyberbullying and safeguard individuals and the community from its adverse effects.

Assignment

INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................4
MAIN BODY........................................................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION.....................................................................................................................................5
REFRENCES........................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Cyberbullying is the bullying which takes through digital devices such as cell phones,
computers, tablets and so on. It can occur through online in social media, forums, gaming
where people can view, SMS, Text and so on. Although, it involve sharing, sending and
posting negative or false mean content related to someone else (Del Rey, Casas and Ortega,
2016). This assignment will going to evaluate the reason of introducing new legislation for
dealing with the problem of cyberbullying.
MAIN BODY
Cyberbullying Is the negative activity in which personal or private information related
to someone else shared which result in embarrassment or humiliation. Moreover, sometimes
it crosses the line into unlawful as well as criminal behaviour (Deslandes, 2018). There are
some common place where cyberbullying take place are mention below :-
 Social media like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and so on.
 Emails
 Instant messages through devices, apps, social media messaging features and so on.
 Short message service (SMS)
Government bodies of every nation have introduced laws and regulation against it.
Cyberbullying will be addressed within civil as well as criminal laws based on the situation
(Banakar, 2016). Explanation of these are as follows :-
 Civil law – it is the branch that deals with property rights, personal dignity as well as
freedom from injury. Within civil law there are three approaches of cyberbullying.
Thus, cyberbullying engaged in defamation it occurs when bully results in harm for
individuals reputation through spreading false information (Young and et.al., 2016).
Whereas, defamation which appears temporarily known as slander and if it is
permanent then called libel.
 Criminal law – There are three approaches of cyberbullying in criminal law are
harassment, defamatory libel and publishing intimate image without any consent.
All these laws and legislation help individual as well as entire society to coming out of
the situation of cyberbullying (Langos and et.al., 2018). This issue is divided within civil and

criminal laws because there is no specific legislation given by the legal bodies of United
Kingdom. Thus, issue related to cyberbullying will resolved through it and protect society
from any negative harm. Because it is not small issue and require proper attention so that
people can overcome with it by taking help of these laws as well as legislations. Along with
this, most of the children are going through respective issue which require proper attention as
well as in school awareness program have to be conduct. So that, children can get knowledge
about it and safe themselves from any type of cyberbullying activity. Whereas, not conduct
such activity for other people also which can harm their image or physical existence.
According to the view of Keith Towler, it has been analysed that there should be little
control as well as regulation for bullying on social media tools (Washington, 2015). As per
the survey it has been determined that over third of 11 to 17 years old people in Wales have
been bullied and suffered through cyberbullying (Cyberbullying law needed, says children's
commissioner for Wales, 2019). Government of Wales said that it will be better to develop
respectful relation within people instead of criminalise them for bullying. In addition to this,
in United Kingdom legislation there is no particular law designed by the legal for making
cyberbullying illegal, although it can be considered a criminal offence within the legislation
such as the Protection from Harassment Act, the Criminal Justice as well as Public Order Act
(Choo, 2015). Apart from this, reason behind introducing new laws as well as legislation is to
protect society and individual from suffering any harassment, insult, bad image and so on. In
addition to this, creating awareness related to the same is necessary for protection there are
some laws against cyberbullying such as Protection from harassment act 1997, criminal
justice and public order act 1994, Malicious communication act 1988, communication Act
2003, breach of the peace (Scotland) and Defamation Act 2013. All these get revised for
addressing the present issues related to cyberbullying and secure people from any type of
negative activity (Sussman and DeJong, 2018). Thus, this is the main reason behind
introducing new laws and legislation to protect each and every individual from any type of
cyber negative activity. Each and every nation has their different legislation designed for
protecting that particular area population. Because it is duty of legal bodies to take care of
society and their well beings. Furthermore, new regulation involve awareness program also
which have to be conduct by teachers in school so they can provide knowledge about
cyberbullying to children as well as tell them how they can protect themselves from any type
of cyber related negative activity. Thus, new regulation will assist in protecting people within

more effective manner as well as help them in living safe life without any harm to their image
or physical existence.
CONCLUSION
From the above discuss it has been concluded that, cyberbullying is a big issue which
result several major losses for individual as well as society. But there is no specific law has
been designed related to it and cyberbullying has been divided within Civil as well as
criminal laws. Adding new laws are important so that issue related to cyberbullying can be
resolve in effective manner without harming anyone. Because it is important to give proper
knowledge about it to children and stop all the activities which result in negative impact on
individual as well as society.

REFRENCES
Books and Journal
Del Rey, R., Casas, J.A. and Ortega, R., 2016. Impact of the ConRed program on different
cyberbulling roles. Aggressive behavior, 42(2), pp.123-135.
Deslandes, S.F., 2018. Cyberbulling: conceituações, dinâmicas, personagens e implicações à
saúde. Ciência & Saúde Coletiva, 23(10).
Banakar, R., 2016. Law, Policy and Social Control Amidst Flux.
Young, H. and et.al., 2016. Cyberbullying and the role of the law in Australian schools:
Views of senior officials. Australian Journal of Education, 60(1), pp.86-101.
Langos, C. and et.al., 2018. 14 Bullying, Law and Pre-service Teachers’
Perspectives. Bullying, Cyberbullying and Student Well-Being in Schools:
Comparing European, Australian and Indian Perspectives, p.285.
Choo, H. E., 2015. Why We Are Still Searching for Solutions to Cyberbullying: An Analysis
of the North American Responses to Cyberbullying under the Theory of Systemic
Desensitization. UNBLJ, 66, p.52.
Sussman, N. and DeJong, S.M., 2018. Ethical considerations for mental health clinicians
working with adolescents in the digital age. Current psychiatry reports, 20(12),
p.113.
Washington, E.T., 2015. An overview of cyberbullying in higher education. Adult
Learning, 26(1), pp.21-27.
Online
Cyberbullying law needed, says children's commissioner for Wales, 2019.
[Online].Available through< https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-24525491>