English police to put Facebook bullies on notice, as well as their parents

Bullying is a childish activity that can have all kinds of bad effects on the people being bullied. Nowhere does this have a detrimental effect than when it comes to our children. Trying to navigate that path from childhood to adulthood can be difficult enough without becoming the target of a bully.

In England a trial project is being instituted by the Thames police and teenage volunteers to try and make Facebook one place that kids can go without fear of being bullied. Once a bully has been identified on Facebook they will be sent a message that they are breaking the law and could find themselves in court. As well the police will be sent a letter letting them know that their child is an online bully and that they had been warned about their action.

Police constable Dave Thomas came up with the scheme, which will be trialled from Monday.

“By sending a police warning notice on Facebook, students will be made aware they could be prosecuted,” he said.

“By alerting their parents to the problem, we are aiming to nip the problem in the bud and prevent it becoming something more serious.

“Social networkers, whatever their age, often don’t think about what they are writing in the same way they would think about what they write in a letter or an email.

“If we have to investigate Facebook messages as harassment or public order offences and the young person gets charged, it could seriously affect their future.

“While we want them to realise how serious the matter is, we also want to avoid that and keep young people out of the criminal justice system if possible.”

via Telegraph

As noble as this idea might be all I can say is good luck with that idea.