{"id":599,"date":"2017-06-06T15:41:28","date_gmt":"2017-06-06T05:41:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kazi-portolesi-lawyers.leapwp.com.au\/?p=599"},"modified":"2020-11-16T04:14:37","modified_gmt":"2020-11-16T04:14:37","slug":"bullies-beware-can-no-longer-hide-behind-social-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kpl.net.au\/bullies-beware-can-no-longer-hide-behind-social-media\/","title":{"rendered":"Bullies Beware \u2013 You Can No Longer Hide Behind Social Media"},"content":{"rendered":"
In an age where privacy appears to be a forgotten concept, those using social media are significantly exposed to the risk of mentally damaging harassment. With today\u2019s youth choosing to share their day-to-day activities with an online audience, they are subject to receiving scrutiny from others, even if they are strangers.<\/p>\n
With online abuse developing into a major issue of the modern age, it has relatively gone unpunished, creating a sense of invincibility for these perpetrators, and a feeling of helplessness for victims within these online environments.<\/p>\n
However, in a recent case heard in the Downing Centre Local Court, a young man was found guilty of \u201cusing a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence\u201d, based on a series of derogatory comments towards a young woman on Facebook. Magistrate William Pearce chose to create an analogy between this incident and a game of football, where one may deal with some criticism, or a \u201cfew bumps\u201d, but would not consent to remarks as offensive as those made in this scenario, which were likened to a \u201csavage right hook\u201d.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, the offender was sentenced to a twelve (12) month good behaviour bond.<\/p>\n
It is crucial that there is now a precedent by which young victims of online harassment know they may be protected, and that any future perpetrators are aware that consequences now exist.<\/p>\n
If you are a young person who has suffered a form of online harassment in the past, please do not hesitate to contact <\/a>our office on (02) 9728 3366<\/a>.<\/p>\n