Resolve: Cyberbullying should be a criminal offense

Now, while I do agree that the person being bullied is stupid because it's easy to just leave, I don't think that is an excuse to cyberbully someone. My opponent has provided no reasons why she thinks cyberbullying should not be a criminal offense other than stating that the person being bullied is stupid. This, however, is not a very good excuse to bully someone. I intend to show why cyberbullying SHOULD be a criminal offense. First some definitions. Bullying - to treat abusively to affect by means of force or coercion Coercing - to restrain or dominate by force Cyber - of, relating to, or involving computers or computer networks Crime - an act or the commission of an act that is forbidden or the omission of a duty that is commanded by a public law and that makes the offender liable to punishment by that law Offense - an infraction of law Felony - a grave crime formerly differing from a misdemeanor under English common law by involving forfeiture in addition to any other punishmentAll of these definitions can be found here: . http://www.merriam-webster.com... The first reason that cyberbullying should be a criminal offense is as follows. Bullying is already an offense in 44 states (. http://www.cyberbullying.us...), so why shouldn't cyberbullying be an offense. It's just as bad if not worse. Think about it, with regular bullying, the person being harassed has to see the person harassing them. They can give a description, and the perpetrator can be punished. A restraining order can also be filed. With cyberbullying, a person could be harassed from across the country. While it's possible to trace the messages back to their source, the perpetrator could be long gone, or they could have used a public computer. Also, there can't be a restraining order because the person can be well outside the limits of the order, and still harass someone. Next, harassment, a major part of bullying, is a crime. Therefore, bullying is a crime, and by default, cyberbullying should be a crime. Depending on the severity of harassment, it can be a gross misdemeanor, or even a felony. Now, a felony, by definition, is a grave crime. This is not good. That's why being a convicted felon can limit job opportunities, and in cases like sexual HARASSMENT, limit where you can live. Clearly, harassment is a huge crime, and because harassment is a part of bullying, I don't need specific sources to show that bullying is a crime. Since bullying is a crime, and cyberbullying is just bullying on the computer, cyberbullying should be a crime. Therefore, the act of cyberbullying should be a criminal offense. Finally, cyber bullying should be a criminal offense because it is inhumane. Everyone has heard of cases where people have killed themselves because they were being cyberbullied. This cannot go unpunished. The perpetrator has essentially murdered a person when this happens, and should be dealt with accordingly. There is no way to say that someone who engages in cyberbullying has good intentions. They want to make the person miserable, maybe not kill them, but make them miserable none the less. My opponent cannot possibly say that it is okay to drive someone to suicide, so how can they say that it is okay to cyberbully. I rest my case until I get a response. Once again, thank you tink1017 for allowing me to partake in this debate. Vote Pro to stop the abuse. Vote Con for death and despair.