Cyberbulling may soon be a Felony

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS – State Rep. Bob Flider, D-Mount Zion has introduced legislation to crack down on how adults can talk to minors on the internet. This came about after hearing the story of Megan Meier, the 13-year-old girl from Dardenne Prairie, Mo., who killed herself last year after receiving hurtful messages on MySpace, a social networking site, from a fictitious boy that was made up by some people in her neighborhood.

Illinois has a law now that restricts sexual predators from communicating with children over the internet but the one filed last week in Springfield would expand the law to include any and/or type of potentially damaging communication on the Internet with a minor. It would make it a felony for an adult to have any electronic communication that “demonstrates a knowing disregard for the health, safety and welfare” of the minor.
Megan Meier’s Mother, Tina Meier, has been lobbying in the state of Missouri to help get a cyber bulling law passed there.