Hobbsr: First David's Law Lawsuit Filed Against School Cyberbullies

For parents and school kids, the thought of being cyberbullied can be frightening, and knowing what to do when it happens can be confusing and difficult.

One Texas parent, after his son was subjected to cruel cyberbullying that turned into a big problem at school, has turned to the newly enacted David's Law, and filed a lawsuit against the cyberbullies and their parents.

Protecting School Kids

David's Law was prompted by the suicide of a teen attributed to severe cyberbullying. In addition to strengthening the criminal penalties for "suicide baiting," it also gives bullied students, and their parents, a mechanism to stop the cyber and physical attacks. The law does, however, require the parent of a victim to take action and request injunctive relief, or, in other words, a court order forcing the bully to stop.

The Texas case mentioned above involved a student who, on a social media discussion, was voted "most likely to shoot up the school." The online teasing soon escalated to in-school bullying, then the school got involved and treated the victim like a potential school shooter.

What Can You Do About Cyberbullies?

While the law provides for many different remedies and actions that can be taken when you, or a family member or friend, is the target and victim of a cyberbullying campaign, the right action can be elusive. The best thing you can do is get informed of your options as quickly as possible.

You may want to contact the authorities, school administration, and even likely an attorney, especially if the bullying seems to be seriously threatening, menacing, or causing a significant impact on the victim's life. If the cyberbully is using sophisticated hacking techniques, you should likely consider turning off your old tech until you've contacted the appropriate authorities.

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