123 Winners Road

Phoenix, AZ 12345
November 12, 2015
DV District Office
1234 Writing Lab Lane
Phoenix, AZ 85026
Dear Sirs:
Hello, my name is Skylar Murrell and Im a sophomore at Sandra Day OConnor High School.
After the recent incidents of cyberbullying, I have decided to take the time to discuss a current
concern I found prevalent at Sandra Day OConnor High School. Teenagers of SDOHS are
partaking in acts of attacking other students online and the problem has yet to be addressed
entirely. Cyberbullying is inexcusable and should be punishable as a felon because of its
detrimental repercussions.

Year after year children are being attacked virtually and the bullying is pushing them to put
themselves at risk. In the article Cyberbullying Law Challenged in Court it states that She
committed suicide after a neighbor pretending to be a teenage boy on Myspace sent her cruel
messages (Palazzolo). The death of 13-year old Megan Meier is irreplaceable and irreversible
so taking action now will prevent another tragedy. Young children are virtually getting
tormented and the outcomes are negative every time. More deaths are occurring than you believe
and in the article From Lockers to Lockup it states An 18-year-old New Jersey college
student, threw himself off the George Washington Bridge after his roommate and a friend
allegedly streamed a Webcam video of his tryst with a man (Bennett). A young man was known
to be humiliated to death. People who attack people online recognize what they are doing and

are pushing people to their death. Although people may think that cyberbullying may be just a
funny thing, the outcomes on the other hand are not.

The lives of children are at risk because of the constant online harassment. If people were to be
held more accountable for their online behavior, children wouldnt see the cyberbullying, hence
would be in better care. In the article From Lockers to Lockup it states The government has
the authority to punish those who act with the intent to emotionally harm children" (Bennett).
People who intend on bulling people are committing a crime that effects people to the point of
death. The inexcusable action of bullying someone online is a possible felony in 45 states. Also
found in the article From Lockers to Lockup it was stated that prevention programs have been
shown to reduce school bullying by as much as 50 percent (Bennett). So if prevention programs
have been shown to decrease bulling; putting criminal charges might diminish cyberbullying
altogether. Even though, people may think that criminal charges for cyberbullying is too far of
a punishment, the outcome of harassment over the internet is much too far since it has resulted
in numerous suicides.
Harassment of children over the internet isnt a small thing anymore and is needed to be taken
very seriously. This problematic circumstance of online harassment needs a set punishment to
stop it from happening. Criminal charges for cyberbullying is the appropriate punishment
because of how severe the situation is in the end.