- Question
Should cyberbullying be a crime?
Should cyberbullying carry criminal penalties? This entry sets out the two positions on the question — that cyberbullying should be a crime, and that it should not — weighing protection of victims against free speech and enforcement.
Position 1 of 2
Read this position →Yes, cyberbullying should be a crime
This position holds that cyberbullying should carry criminal penalties, on the grounds that sustained online abuse does lasting harm, often to children, and that schools and platforms have no power to deter offenders who ignore them.
Position 2 of 2
Read this position →No, cyberbullying should not be a crime
This position holds that cyberbullying should not be a criminal offence, arguing that the conduct cannot be defined without catching ordinary speech, that most offenders are themselves children, and that schools and civil remedies suit it better.