UPDATE: LANSING - Governor Synder took action against bulling in 2011 by passing the anti-bullying legislation. The bill engages the full school and staff in education, communication, training, and action against bullying.

Dr. Brenda Lovegrove Lepisto, Psychologist and Child and Adult Psychoanalyst, says that bullying interferes with children's self-esteem, creates anxiety, causes them to suffer in their school work, and causes lack of interest in activities they once enjoyed.

Dr. Christine Greenhow, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University and expert on social media and education says, "The majority of parents think that the internet is a positive influence, and we know from studies of cyber bullying that it is really only a minority of teens that are bullied; only about 4-6%. Often those who are being bullied are also bullying themselves."

Dr. Greenhow recommends that parents get a Facebook so they can understand their son/daughters' online experience. They should also review the terms of service.

"The best things they can do in the case of cyber bullying is to make sure they understand and are active in setting the privacy settings on their social media accounts," says Officer Juhrs, Meridian Township Police Department.

Dr. Lovegrove Lepisto says, "The child can take care of it themselves if she stands up for herself and she decides not to take it. She know she has backing from her school, she knows she has backing from her parents, and she can go ahead and stand up against the bully."


ORIGINAL STORY: LANSING - Bullying has become more than "a right of passage" with outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, the American Academy of Pediatrics calls cyber bulling the most common online risk for teens.