Cyberbullying On The Rise
By: Allison Morrison
Updated: November 18, 2009
A new kind of bullying is becoming more common in Lubbock schools and you may be surprised who the threats are coming from.
It's called cyberbullying and it happens when a person is threatened by another, using some sort of technology like the internet or cell phones.
Lubbock Police Sgt. Ross Hester is currently investigating several cyberbullying cases.
He says the number of incidents spike when school starts and on average, he oversees about 40 cases each year.
"We've seen reports where children as young as the age of six and in first grade text each other, making comments about each other, calling each other names. We've seen an increase in this kind of harrassment," Sgt. Hester says.
Cyberbullying is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail and/or a fine.
