Cyberbullying

It's already happening, but it's going to be more exacerbated and more difficult the longer we go."

She didn't know why she was being badgered until she discovered the phony Facebook page.

The creators also are accused of posting derogatory messages about Alex.

"Parents are all feeling very frustrated, and they just don't know what to do."

The thorny issue of whether schools may censor students who are off campus when they attack online has led to split decisions in federal courts.

Almost every state has a law or other policy prohibiting cyberbullying, but very few cover intimidation outside of school property.

In Georgia, lawmakers have given school administrators new powers to punish students if they bully others at school, but legislation that would expand the laws to include text messages and social media sites never reached a vote this year.

So the 14-year-old girl, Alex Boston, is using a somewhat novel strategy to fight back: She's slapping her two classmates with a libel lawsuit.

In Georgia, lawmakers have given school administrators new powers to punish students if they bully others at school, but legislation that would expand the laws to include text messages and social media sites never reached a vote this year.

Alex, who agreed to be identified to raise awareness about cyberbullying, remembers the mean glances and harsh words from students when she arrived at her suburban Atlanta middle school.

"Cyberbullying really goes beyond the four walls of the school or the four corners of the campus, because if you use a cellphone, PDA or social media site, then those activities follow the child both into the school and out of the school," said House M

"A lot of prosecutors just don't have the energy to prosecute 13-year-olds for being mean," said Parry Aftab, an attorney and child advocate who runs stopcyberbullying.org.

So the 14-year-old girl, Alex Boston, is using a somewhat novel strategy to fight back: She's slapping her two classmates with a libel lawsuit.

Alex, who agreed to be identified to raise awareness about cyberbullying, remembers the mean glances and harsh words from students when she arrived at her suburban Atlanta middle school.

School Cyberbullying Victims Fight Back In Lawsuits
By GREG BLUESTEIN and DORIE TURNER 04/26/12 07:27 PM ET
ATLANTA — When a Georgia middle school student reported to police and school officials that she had been bullied on Facebook, they told h

It was also set up to appear that Alex had left obscene comments on other friends' pages, made frequent sexual references and posted a racist video.

"The girls involved likely now understand the wrongful nature of what they did and the harm that can come of such conduct," he said.

The thorny issue of whether schools may censor students who are off campus when they attack online has led to split decisions in federal courts.

As states consider or pass cyberbullying laws in reaction to high-profile cases around the country, attorneys and experts say many of the laws aren't strong enough, and lawsuits such as this one are bound to become more commonplace.