As the effects of cyberbullying become a growing problem, the criminalization of cyberbullying is necessary to prevent its harmful impacts on the United States and serve as a deterrent. Cyberbullying has become the 21st century version of bullying; it has extended beyond the classroom and into a virtual world that appears to have no effect on real life. The world is now able to bully someone from the comfort of their own home, at any time, through the use of technology. However, cyberbullying continues to have lasting consequences on the victim and now it is time for the offender to feel the consequences of their actions. Studies indicate that incidents of cyberbullying have quadrupled over the past five years. Cyberbullying has recently become a huge problem. Every time someone turns on the news, another bullying incident or bullying-related suicide is reported. Many celebrities are trying to send a message to their followers that bullying isn't right and shouldn't be tolerated. Some observers of today's youth and media culture believe that the current media environment may desensitize young people to the harmful effects of their actions. The expansion of communications technology expands the ways in which bullies can torture their victims. Cyberbullies will continue to pose a threat to today's youth if preventative measures are not taken against them. Technology isn't going anywhere anytime soon, so it's important to find a way to stop cyberbullying. Traditional bullying every school day affects about half of American students. Cyberbullying is fueled by technology and as technology develops it becomes increasingly difficult to see and prevent bullying from happening...... middle of paper ..... . I will see. If laws were created to combat cyberbullying, would-be cyberbullies would likely think twice before spewing hate. There are many challenges in the fight to end cyberbullying, but many people do not seem to understand the circumstances and the harm caused. the victims. It is important to criminalize cyberbullying because it is hurtful to victims and can sometimes even lead the victim to suicide. Some people think that cyberbullying is not comparable to killing a person. Technically, it's the same thing because the cyberbully would be responsible for the victim's death if the victim decides to commit suicide due to the situation and the bully should be held responsible for what happened. Law enforcement officers have the ability to prevent cyberbullying from happening so frequently.