Examining Texas' laws regarding cyberbullying

Posted By Law Offices of Jeffrey C. Grass || 19-Jun-2015

Plano parents who come to us here at the Law Offices of Jeffrey C. Grass are discovering there's now a whole new way their kids can get in trouble: the computer. One of the more common computer crimes kids can get accused of is cyberbullying. It's important that both you and your child understand what cyberbullying is before any of his or her actions are mistaken for it.

While the term "cyberbullying" may not show up in any of Texas' state laws, several others have been amended to account for it. In reference to activities at school, the Texas Education Code extends to online bullying. It lists content or words transmitted via electronic means on school property that threaten or intimidate another as bullying.

The Texas Penal Code also addresses scenarios outside of school where kids may use the Internet to intimidate or slander their peers. If your child uses someone else's name or image to create a social networking or Internet page, or to post comments on such media that are meant to cause harm or fraud, he or she could face a felony offense. Furthermore, it can be considered a misdemeanor to use another's name or identifying information for malicious intent through any of the following mediums:

Even if your child believed their actions to simply be made in good fun, the actual content they created or transmitted could come back to haunt them. In such a scenario, clarifying their actual intentions may be the key to responding to any accusations made against them.

More information on dealing with cyberbullying and other juvenile crimes can be found on our website.