Let's stop bullies, but not forget context

The mouse of a computer is the new fist, the keyboard is the new spray can and the computer is the new school yard. IT IS often said that the internet presents an entirely parallel world for many individuals.

For many, it can provide a dreamworld, a place to be an entirely different and idyllic person, but for too many it represents a nightmare.

The internet is a platform which has become entirely necessary in our lives, particularly for school students, given the way assignments essentially now assume access to it.

However, that necessity forces many to enter a world in which they are subjected to abuse and bullying that destroys their lives and that occurs in an unregulated way that would far more rarely occur with such freedom in the real world.

The anonymity, and often illusion of anonymity, of the internet can make it easy for individuals to say things they never otherwise would.

The internet carries a sense of fantasy, where individuals think there are suddenly few, if any, real consequences for their actions. That means that the mouse of a computer is the new fist, the keyboard is the new spray can and the computer is the new school yard. Bullying now exists on a new platform with new dynamics.

It is therefore pleasing that Judith Collins and the National Party are putting in motion plans to put an end to this worrying trend.

The measures to be introduced range from, at the smallest level, establishing new avenues to act "as the first port of call for complaints", to, at the other end of the spectrum, "creating a new offence of incitement to commit suicide" which could land those found guilty with up to 3 years in prison.

Such measures should be lauded for their intentions but we should be wary of their consequences.

For example, the new measure regarding incitement of suicide cuts to the crux of the most extreme cases of cyber bullying yet it could also seemingly be used to convict offhand comments of little consequence.

Why? Because the law can be applied even when the victim does not attempt to commit suicide; just at the point at which the incitement occurs.

Of course, there would seemingly be legal checks to ensure such a law is not used loosely and unjustly, but the nature of the internet and young people today is that statements which one person would see as malicious, the two individuals involved may have at the time seen as meaningless, albeit immature, discussion.

The salient point is that this legislation is much needed, and places responsibility directly in front of those ignoring it thus far, and so should be welcomed, however caution should be taken and the actual wording of the law, when released, should be examined more closely and submitted on by the public where necessary.

However, by and large the initiatives seem geared towards an understanding of the blurry nature of the internet. That's why at the lower end of the spectrum, there is focus on establishing an entirely new agency and framework for complaints to be made. Through this, the parties can establish what the problem is and hopefully move towards a solution, but this prevents young and sometimes confused or misled students from falling into a spiral of cyber bullying.

This is obviously monumentally beneficial for victims, provided it is made easy for them to make complaints and provided young people are made to feel comfortable in doing so. However, of significance too is the effect this would have on the individuals who often become cyber bullies themselves. Their bullying would be addressed far more early in many cases through this new mechanism, and in a manner which now has the threat of criminal sanctions if the behaviour does not stop.

What this means is that fewer youth develop into patterns of bullying on the net and over text. Fewer young people are left to spiral into a situation where their actions lead to a fatal end for the unfortunate soul who happens to be their victim. And fewer young people are therefore left to be that victim.

The internet is, in essence, a world of its own. Our laws should, where necessary, reflect that. Cyber bullying necessitates special treatment and is a problem that, unaddressed, will plague the lives of far too many of the young and vulnerable. Finally, legislation to address just that looks likely. Let's use it to shut down cyber bullying without shutting down the internet.