Most of us have heard the saying “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” With today's technology, this saying may no longer be true. Studies show that over the past five years, online harassment has quadrupled (M. Ross, 3). Technology has given bullies a whole different proposition for their actions; Virtual insults can have detrimental effects on the safety of children and adolescents in today's society. An online bully is someone who sends messages via technology, hides behind their keyboard and uses words or images to embarrass and intimidate their target. The online bully's goal is to make their target feel weak; these online bullies can be referred to as cyberbullies. Cyberbullying is using technology to embarrass, threaten, harass or target another person; according to his definition, this occurs among young people (New, 4). It is usually carried out by the child's peers and, surprisingly, occurs as early as the second year (Jacobs 1). Cyberbullying can even be unintentional, including through the use of email, instant messaging, and text messages, as the tone of the sender can be difficult to describe. However, recurring emails, online posts, and text messages are almost never unintentional (124). As the number of young people with access to technology increases, cyberbullying will likely continue to increase and take its toll among young people. Due to its excessive effects on today's children, cyberbullying should be taken more seriously. Cyberbullies bully for a reason, as all bullies do. There are many reasons why the bully may commit this horrible crime; the bully “may feel bad about himself and think that being a bully will make him feel better” (Jakubiak 8). The cyberbully can also... middle of paper ...... small signs need to be watched for. It may take just one bully to tear a child down, but all it takes is a united and mobilized family and friends to rebuild him or her. Works Cited Jacobs, Judge Tom. Investigating Teen Cyberbullying: Where Do Your Rights End and Consequences Begin? Minneapolis: Free Spirit Publishing, Inc., 2010. Print. Jakubiak, David J. A Smart Kids' Guide to Online Bullying. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2010. Print, Margaret Ross. Kamaron. Kamaron Institute, nd Web. December 2, 2014. .New, Michelle. Children's health. The Nemours Foundation, January 2009. Web. December 1, 2014. .Stop cyberbullying. WiredKids, Inc., and Web. Dec. 2014. .