Mal Fletcher comments on a new bill introduced this week



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Police may need to allocate more resources to this type of crime and to be better informed about where it is headed in future.

Social media behemoths can do more, too.

To a point, social media communities are self-correcting. If you say something about another user or group on Twitter, for example, and the online community considers it to be beyond the pale, that community can make things very uncomfortable for you.

Not only might you find your inbox bombarded with negative tweets, but you may well become a (negative) viral sensation as people spread the word about your abuse of the system.

However, providers like Twitter, with its 645 million active users, and Facebook, which claims 1.13 billion active participants, need to become more proactive in blocking repeat bullying offenders - and allowing users to do the same.

They might also facilitate online advertising campaigns aimed at proactively helping young people deal with online bullying.

Soon any such efforts may be backed by laws that bite. CR

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.