When you think about bullying ( 欺侮 , 伤害 ), you might think of a child being frightened or hurt by another in the schoolyard. As more young people have access t o computers and cell phones, traditional bullying has gone digital, which has not yet gained awareness in Chinese parents. Cyber - bullying, first invented by Canadian educator Bill Belsey, is the use of the Internet and related technologies to harm other people, in an intentional, repeated and unfriendly manner. It involves threatening text messages, the spread of online rumors ( 谣言 ) on social networking sites, and intentionally keeping someone out of an online group. Cyber - bullying is increasing in the US and many teenagers have become victims ( 受害者 ) of cyber - bullying. Compared to face - to - face bullying, cyber - bullying is considered to have a worse emotional effect on the victims, and kids could feel more hopeless. Sever e, long - term or frequent cyber - bullying can leave victims anxiety, depression and disorder. Research says that cyber - bullying victims were almost twice as likely to have tried suicide ( 自杀 ) compared to youths who had not experienced it. In t raditional schoolyard bullying, at least home is a safe place for the victims. But cyber - bullying is endless——it could happen anytime. Moreover, in the digital world, bullying is much easier, as it is less likely for a cyber - bully to be caught. Ac tually, cyber - bullying has become a worldwide issue. In the US, as several teens committed suicide because of cyber - bullying, some schools set rules to punish cyberbullies. Laws to punish cyber - bullying have been introduced in some states. In China, cy ber - bullying is still considered by many parents and educators as a problem that involves physical contact. However, as cell phones and laptops are used widely for teenagers, social interactions have increasingly moved from personal contact to virtual cont act. Cyber - bullying is spreading faster than expected. For schools and parents, safety rules should be set in the virtual world for kids, such as telling them not to let out anything to a stranger. Active steps should be taken to make the public aware of the seriousness of this problem, because it would be too late to take measures after tragedy ( 悲剧 ) occurs. (365 words)