There is a strong connection between cyberbullying and affliction. In short, cyberbullying can harm mental health and make people feel unsafe, but some people will say cyberbullying is not a crime so it should not be charged as one, but charging it as a misdemeanor can prevent the consequences of cyberbullying. Since it negatively affects mental health, cyberbullying should be charged as a misdemeanor. All things considered, not everyone agrees because it is not a big deal to some people. Although this idea may be true, bullying has a big effect on mental health. First of all, even though some may argue differently, cyberbullying has a huge impact on mental health. Notably, as bullying increases, suicide rates go up. To illustrate this fact, in the article “Cyberbullying linked with suicidal thoughts and attempts in young adolescents”, the National Institutes of …show more content…
With this in mind, some think cyberbullying is not serious enough for it to be considered a misdemeanor. For instance in the article “Four Reasons Why Cyberbullying Should Not Be Criminalized” Sharon reports, “Criminalizing cyberbullying would... punish people for their actions that aren't actually criminal” (southernearlychildhood.org) To clarify, some people believe cyberbullying should not be charged as a misdemeanor because it is simply not a crime. With that in mind, charging it as a misdemeanor prevents the horrific repercussions that cyberbullying can have. Sharon continues to say “it will ensure teenagers do not engage in this behavior again, which will almost certainly save lives” (southernearlychildhood.org). As a result, teenagers will learn how serious cyberbullying is and it will teach them a strong lesson. All things considered, misdemeanor charges are very serious, but it is necessary because of the effects cyberbullying has on people and the environment it