Todd McClay:Teens need protecting from cyber bullies

Social media is quickly becoming a part of everyday life. It's used for work, to voice opinions and of course for entertainment.

Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter mean friends and family are only an instant message away. While there are many benefits to this - it does seem easier to keep in touch - unfortunately there can also be pitfalls.

By this I mean cyber bullying. In the digital age tormenters are able to harass their targets 24 hours a day, seven days a week, wherever they go. And the trail of abuse in cyberspace follows victims for years.

Young people are particularly vulnerable to the impact this new form of bullying has, particularly on teenagers.

Reports show that cyber bullying can contribute to increased truancy, failure at school and emotional problems including depression and self-harm. In the most tragic of circumstances, victims of cyber bullying take their own lives, something we have witnessed here in Rotorua with the tragic death of 15-year-old Hayley-Ann Fenton in 2009 who took her own life after receiving vicious, bullying texts.

As a parent my heart goes out to Hayley-Ann's family. I know her parents have been advocating strongly for tougher laws against cyber bullying since her death and her story continues to catch the nation's attention. It was this tragedy which helped set in motion moves to put a stop to the growing incidence of cyber bullying and the devastating impact it has on the young.

To prevent tragedies like Hayley-Ann's it's important we put legislation in place to better protect people, better protect victims of cyber bullying and hold bullies to account.

Whether it's in the playground or online, bullying is not okay and recently the Government announced a new set of measures to drive home that message. These include introducing newly defined offences with consequences, and setting up an agency to support victims.

We're creating a new civil enforcement regime that includes setting up or appointing an approved agency as the first port of call for complaints.

It will be able to investigate and resolve complaints directly and quickly, with the most serious complaints being referred to the district court, which can issue orders to take down offending material online and cease-and-desist notices.

It will be an offence to send messages and post material online that is grossly offensive, indecent, obscene, menacing or knowingly false, punishable by up to three months imprisonment or a $2000 fine. We're also making a new offence of incitement to commit suicide, even when a person does not attempt to take their own life, punishable by up to three years imprisonment.

In some cases, existing laws were written before cellphones, instant messaging devices and social networking websites became common communication channels. For this reason we'll be amending the Harassment, Privacy and Human Rights Acts to ensure they are up-to-date for digital communications.

A bill giving effect to the changes will be introduced to Parliament. Taking further action to reduce the impact of cyber-bullying is a priority for this Government. It's time to stand up and send a clear message to cyber-bullies: your behaviour is not acceptable.

Should you know of someone who is being bullied, or are worried about a family member, please raise this with a parent or with your school. If someone is bullying you, it's okay to ask for help by telling someone you trust. It's up to all of us to do everything that we can to put a stop to the significant harm caused by bullying.