Editing Cyberbullying (section)

=== European Union ===

Since the 1990s, the United Kingdom and other European countries have been working to solve [[workplace bullying]] since there is no legislation regulating cyberbullying. The pervasive nature of technology has made the act of bullying online much easier.<ref name=european-perspective>{{cite web|title=Bullying, Harassment and Stress in the Workplace — A European Perspective|url=http://www.internationallaborlaw.com/files/2013/01/Bullying-Harassment-and-Stress-in-the-workplace-A-European-Perspective.pdf|publisher=  Proskauer|access-date=November 18, 2015}}</ref> A 24-hour internet connection gives bullies a neverending opportunity to find and bully victims. Employers in the European Union have more legal responsibility to their employees than do those in other countries. Since employers do not have the ability to fire or hire an employee at will like in the United States, employers in Europe are held to a high standard in how their employees are treated.

In 2007, the European Union developed the Framework Agreement on Harassment and Violence at Work, a law that prevents bullying occurring in the workplace and holds employers accountable for providing fair working conditions.<ref name=european-perspective /> The law defines the responsibilities of an employer such as protecting his or her employees from bullies in a work environment and the psychological pain a victim faces from bullies during business hours. Lawyers pursuing cyberbullying cases use the Ordinance on Victimization at Work law, since there are not any laws specifically condemning cyberbullying.<ref name=european-perspective />

In 1993, Sweden was the first European Union country to have a law against cyberbullying. The Ordinance on Victimization at Work protected victims from "recurrent reprehensible or distinctly negative actions which are directed which are directed against individual employees in an offensive manner and can result in those employees being placed outside the workplace community".<ref name=european-perspective />

In 2002, France passed the Social Modernization Law, which added consequences to the French Labor Code for cyberbullying such as holding employers accountable for their involvement in harassment.<ref name="Viola Lloyd">{{cite web | url=https://www.thehrdirector.com/business-news/diversity_and_equality/french-law-prohibiting-bullying-in-the-workplace/ | title=FRENCH LAW PROHIBITING BULLYING IN THE WORKPLACE |date=November 15, 2013 |access-date=December 17, 2018 | author= Viola Lloyd}}</ref> The legislation defines "moral harassment" as "repeated acts leading to a
deterioration of the working conditions and that are likely to harm the dignity, the physical or psychological heath of the victim or his professional career."<ref name=european-perspective />

The United Kingdom does not have anti-bullying legislation. However, it does have the Protection From Harassment Act, an anti-stalking law.<ref name=european-perspective /> U.K. courts have used this legislation in bullying cases.

[[File:Take A Stand Against Cyberbullying.png|thumb|This image portrays the support and awareness that many anti-cyberbullying campaigns have in some countries around the world.]]
The United States and some other countries have more extensive legislation on cyberbullying than the European Union. Cyberbullying incidents on social media are widespread and have increased drastically in number.<ref name=european-perspective /> However, the process of getting a claim against a bully is not an easy one because of the victim's need to provide sufficient evidence to prove the existence of bullying.

As of mid-2015, countries in the European Union like the United Kingdom are in the process of creating laws specially related to cyberbullying. Since the process takes time, the government is supporting school programs to promote internet safety with the help of teachers and parents.<ref>{{cite web|title=Statutory guidance – Keeping children safe in education|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2|website=GOV.UK|publisher=Department for Education|access-date=November 20, 2015}}</ref> This will allow the government to take the time it needs to create the cyberbullying laws while helping safeguard students from cyberbullying as much as possible.<ref>{{cite web|title=New guidelines to help industry promote internet safety|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-guidelines-to-help-industry-promote-internet-safety|website=GOV.UK|publisher=Department for Education & Tim Loughton|access-date=November 20, 2015}}</ref>