Rights and Responsibilities
How To Stay Safe
Harassment
Harassment can involve repeatedly being mean to someone or even hurting them as a result of their ethnicity, race or sexuality. if you do harass someone, this goes against the Harassment Act 1997, and the punishment will vary depending on the violence of the attack. this law has been put in place to stop people being discriminated if they are gay, black etc.
Cyberbullying
The Malicious Communications Act 1998 is there to stop people from being verbally abused using technology. this involves sending messages via email, text, social network etc. However, you can only be punished if you mean to offend someone on purpose, and repeatedly send these mean messages. this the same with harassment, in the fact that it only counts if it is an ongoing offence.
The Law
when you reach the age of 10, the responsibility to accept punishment for your actions goes from your parents, and makes you independent with guidance from the law. Over this age, you can be punished according to what you have done. This does not necessarily mean prison, but can involve you being taken away from your parents or even sent to a juvenile correction facility.