Cyberbullying Now Against The Law In Michigan: What To Know

MICHIGAN — A new law takes effect Wednesday to protect Michiganders from cyberbullying. Consequences for online harassment will now include fines and jail time.

Online harassment is now a misdemeanor crime punishable by a maximum of 93 days in jail or a maximum fine of $500, or both. Second-time offenders could face up to a year in jail or a maximum fine of $1,000. Repeat offenders could face a 5-year maximum sentence or a $5,000 fine, according to the new law.

Offenders who have a "continued pattern of harassing or intimidating behavior and by that violation causes the death" could be sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in jail for the felony or a $10,000 fine, the law says.

Under the new law, cyberbullying includes the following behavior:

• Posting a message or statement in a public media forum about any other person that is intended to put someone in fear of bodily harm or death and expresses an intent to commit violence against the person.
• Posting a message or statement with the intent to communicate a threat with the knowledge that it will be viewed as a threat.
• A pattern of harassing or intimidating behavior.

A public media forum is defined as "the internet or any other medium designed or intended to be used to convey information to other individuals, regardless of whether a membership or password is required to view the information."

This includes social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat, news sites and online forums.

According to the Detroit Free Press, the Livingston County Sheriff's Office shared information about cyberbullying amongst teens, how to tell if your child is being bullied online and how parents can get involved. Read those tips here.

Cyberbullying in Michigan took a turn in 2015, when a 13-year-old Michigan girl committed suicide after being bullied and taunted by classmates on Facebook.

For more information on preventing cyberbullying and recognizing online harassment, visit www.stopbullying.gov.

View the law, which former Gov. Rick Snyder signed in December, below:

The Bully Menace: A Patch Series

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From The Experts

• 'The Anti-Bully': Talk And, Especially, Listen To Your Kids
• The Bully Menace: Patch Experts Offer Tips To Parents
• Anti-Bully Experts Offer Tips On Sometimes Deadly Encounters
• Understanding The Bully: They're Often Victims, Too, Experts Say

What We've Learned

• The Bully Menace: What Patch Has Learned About Childhood Torture