CyberbullyingOn October 16, 2006, a mother discovered her daughter hanging in a closet. The victim was 13-year-old Megan Meier. (ABC NEWS) A few months before her death, Megan had shown signs of depression. Megan had low self-esteem, but she was happy to receive a friend request from a 16-year-old boy on MySpace. She began talking to the boy, who claimed to have been home-schooled. Soon, the compliments turned to cyberbullying as Megan was called "fat" and a "slut." (ABC NEWS) A few weeks after Megan's death, the family discovered that the boy Megan had been talking to was actually a local mother who had created the page to bully Megan. The mother has not been charged with any crime and the Meiers are still seeking justice in the case. (ABC NEWS) They started the Megan Meier Foundation. The foundation's mission statement is to help raise awareness about harassment and cyberbullying in children's everyday environments.2Rebecca Sedwick was 12 years old when she jumped to her death after being a victim of cyberbullying. According to CNN, Sedwick was stalked and bullied by two girls at her school. The two girls involved were charged with aggravated stalking, but the charges were dropped in 2013. Sedwick was bullied for months before attempting suicide for a second time and dying. Statistics: In the past year, 16% of high school students were victims of electronic bullying. However, cyberbullying isn't just an epidemic affecting older teens. (StopBullying) 6% of students in grades 6-12 have also been victims of cyberbullying. (StopBullying)Cyberbullying turns the “playground” bully into something much more dangerous. Children have no way to escape these bullies and sometimes take drastic measures to release... middle of paper ... same injury. Just as you would like to know about bullying during school hours, the school also needs to know about the situation. Let the school know what is happening, so they can avoid a bad environment for your child. Conclusion: Cyberbullying is an epidemic that affects children of all age groups. It is important to recognize the warning signs of cyberbullying to avoid devastating repercussions. It's also important to know how to deal with cyberbullying as it happens. Children are sensitive sometimes, and a few mean words can hurt their self-esteem, which can lead to self-harm and worse. Notes: 1 For a list of the effects of “in-person bullying,” see www.stopbullying. gov.2To visit the Megan Meier Foundation website, see http://www.meganmeierfoundation.org.3 For a list of all bullying laws, see www.cyberbullying.us.