Cyberbullying should be a criminal offence.

We are 100 per cent behind the Canadian Teachers' Federation's recent decision to call on the federal government to take a tough stand on cyberbullying. One hundred delegates endorsed the motion at the powerful group's annual general meeting held in New Brunswick. The CTF represents 220,000 teachers. The president of the federation, Emily Noble, said her group is going to be lobbying MPs for their support in addressing weaknesses in the Criminal Code, especially in the area of harassment and bullying that's carried out in cyberspace.

Thanks to instant messaging, posts on blogs and, of course, the ever-growing popularity of social networking sites, cyberbullying is a very real issue that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. One can't imagine the sheer torment some young people and educators feel when targeted by a faceless criminal.

Cyberbullying is getting bigger and meaner every day. It is clearly becoming a real public health threat.

The federation says cyberbullying is a growing problem that affects both students and teachers. We would like to take that statement further and suggest that it can potentially affect anyone at any age in any profession at any time.

But like anything else, you can't legislate common sense. Our communities would be much safer and kinder if parents paid closer attention to what their child or teen is posting on the Web.

While students might not want mom or dad reading their e-mails or their postings on Facebook, that is precisely what is needed if a parent suspects either their child is being bullied - or is the perpetrator.

Hateful, threatening words can be frightening. Unflattering or harmful photographs widely distributed are not funny. These are not pranks; it is online harassment.

If we are to adopt laws on cyberbullying, then parents should also be liable for the harm caused by their children.

The Hamilton Police Service and the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board have strong policies on cyberbullying.

Last year, as children headed back to school, the HPS let parents and educators know that any incidents of bullying are not acceptable and should be reported to the area School Liaison Officer, or any other police officer.

In its message, the HPS said bullying may also occur outside of school.

"With the internet being a major part of students lives, 'cyberbullying' is also emerging as a problem. With web sites like Facebook, and My Space, groups of people can band together against others more easily. If your child is being threatened or harassed on the internet notify the police."

The HWDSB also considers cyberbullying a serious matter and have created policy to address incidents and protect students.

Earlier this year, the HWDSB reported more bullying by high school girls pushed the number of suspensions at area public schools to their highest level since the introduction of the Safe Schools Act in 2001.

Much of the bullying was cyber in nature.

We hope that the teachers' federation continues to push this important issue and that it does not become 'lost' once the school bell rings in September.

Advocating for criminal laws on cyberbullying is one thing, but teachers are educators. An even more important way to make children and teens aware of the dangers of cyberbullying is through education and discussion.

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Editor's note: Has your child been subjected to online bullying? If so, please let us know by emailing mcripps@hamiltonnews.com.