A hot topic in the news these days is the phenomenon of "cyberbullying" which has reportedly driven some teens to suicide. We are trying to make sense of the world that is rapidly evolving around us.

Bullying in school is nothing new. The rapid development of the online social networks has taken it to a new level and given anonymous voices new power. Still, schoolyard taunting, pushing, shoving and tormenting are strictly old-style. Lumped together in classrooms, children and teens seemingly spend more time seeking power and recognition among their peers than trying to excel academically. Those marked as different become targets. The internet simply provides another powerful way to gang up on, and to pick on, the less powerful.

We believe there is another factor to the sudden focus on bullying. While it has always been present in schools, it appears to be having more tragic impacts than previously noted. That’s because young bullies are getting away with their des...