A bill that would criminalize cyberbullying advanced in the Louisiana state legislature Tuesday; the proposed legislation would make it a misdemeanor to harass a person under the age of 17 through texts, emails, or social networking sites. The bill, sponsored by Representative Roy Burrell, has been sent to the full House for debate after being approved by committee. Burrell said he was concerned about a rise in teens using MySpace, Facebook, and other digital communication to bully each other—sometimes resulting in teen suicide. "This situation is worsening, and it's destroying young lives," Burrell said. A woman urged the committee to pass the bill after her 13-year-old daughter was mercilessly taunted online, and the school and the police were unable to stop it. "I don't want my daughter to hang herself in a bedroom," the woman said.
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