Online bullies will see tougher consequences

A new law that goes in effect in Colorado on Wednesday is bringing serious consequences to online bullies.

“My own daughter said she would pray that she would die so she wouldn’t have to go to school. For that to happen to any child is a crime,” said Marcella Cawiezell, a mother of a cyberbullying victim.

Cawiezell is relieved to know that Colorado lawmakers are recognizing cyberbullying as a serious issue.

“On the text that she received, it eluded to the fact that she’s an adopted child, and the reason she was adopted is because her birth parents could never love anybody as ugly and horrific as she was,” said Cawiezell.

Bullies like the 10-year-olds who sent those hurtful texts could now be charged with misdemeanor harassment.

Some offenders could see up to six months in county jail.

“With technology changing as rapidly as it does, lawmakers are always scrambling to keep up,” said David McDivitt, with McDivitt Law Firm.

The new law captures all forms of electronic media, ones that in previous laws were silent.

“It casts a wider net to capture more types of communication and then it attaches the same kind of penalties we have for traditional harassment,” said McDivitt.

McDivitt says now, less online bullies can slip through the cracks.

“I am over the moon, I am so happy that they have taken a stand on this. At the time when this happened, there was very little recourse,” said Cawiezell.

“Some of their conduct can be criminal. It’s the same kind of conduct we wouldn’t accept if they did it face to face on the playground, that’s also unacceptable if they try to hide behind it on the internet,” said McDivitt.

Lawmakers named the law after Kiana Arellano, a Douglas County High School cheerleader who tried to kill herself in 2013, after being bullied online.