A call for new legislation is being made after the suicide of a young girl as a result of Internet bullying.


A Missouri couple is grieving after their daughter committed suicide because of a failed relationship on the Internet.  Neighbors in their St. Louis suburb are coming together, passing a law to make on-line harassment a crime. Last year, the Meiers' daughter, Megan, who had struggled with depression, became friends with a boy named Josh Evans on the website myspace.com.  But after Evans ended the relationship, the rejection became to much for Megan Meier, who took her life the day after the relationship ended.  Her parents then learned that Josh was really a screen name used by a nearby woman, who was upset after he daughter and Megan had a fight.

Statistics show that more than one-third of teenagers undergo Internet bullying, and often emotionally vulnerable teens become targets of Internet predators. Many are calling for changes to current laws dealing with Internet bullying.  While sending someone harassing email is a crime, posting that same information on a website or a blog is not.

The Meiers want the federal government to adopt legislation that their community passed to prevent further cases similar to Megan's.