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 online bullying has quadrupled in the last five years (M. Ross, 3). Technology has given bullies a completely different proposition for their actions; Virtual insults can have harsh effects on the safety of children and adolescents in today's society. An online bully is someone who sends messages via technology, hides behind the keyboard, and uses words or images to embarrass and intimidate their target. The goal of the online bully is to make his target feel weak; these online bullies can be called cyberbullies. Cyberbullying is the practice of using technology to embarrass, threaten, harass, or target another person; according to his definition it occurs among young people (New, 4). It is usually performed by the child's peers and surprisingly occurs as early as second grade (Jacobs 1). Cyberbullying can also be unintentional, especially through the use of emails, instant messages, and text messages because the sender's tone can be difficult to describe. However, recurring emails, online posts, and text messages are almost never involuntary (124). As the number of young people who have access to technology increases, cyberbullying is likely to continue to increase and negatively impact young people. Due to the excessive effect it has on children today, cyberbullying should be taken more seriously. Cyberbullies bully for a reason, just like all bullies do. There are many reasons why the bully may commit this horrible crime; the bully “may feel bad about himself and may think that being a bully will make him feel better” (Jakubiak 8). Even the best cyberbully... middle of paper... small signs to pay attention to. It may take just one bully to bring a child down, but all it takes is a family and friends to support them and take actions to build them back up. Works Cited Jacobs, Judge Tom. Adolescent Cyberbullying Survey: Where Do Your Rights End and Consequences Begin? Minneapolis: Free Spirit Publishing, Inc., 2010. Print.Jakubiak, David J. A Smart Kid's Guide to Online Bullying. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2010. Print. Margaret Ross. Kamarón. Kamaron Institute, nd Web. December 2, 2014. New, Michelle. Children's health. The Nemours Foundation, January 2009. Web. 01 December 2014. .Stop cyberbullying. WiredKids, Inc., and Web. December. 2014. .