2018 Arkansas Code
Title 5 - Criminal Offenses
Subtitle 6 - Offenses Against Public Health, Safety, or Welfare
Chapter 71 - Riots, Disorderly Conduct, Etc.
Subchapter 2 - Offenses Generally
§ 5-71-217. Cyberbullying
(a) As used in this section:
(1) "Communication" means the electronic communication of information of a person's choosing between or among points specified by the person without change in the form or content of the information as sent and received;
(2) "Electronic means" means any textual, visual, written, or oral communication of any kind made through the use of a computer online service, Internet service, telephone, or any other means of electronic communication, including without limitation to a local bulletin board service, an Internet chat room, electronic mail, a social networking site, or an online messaging service; and
(3) "School employee" means a person who is employed full time or part time at a school that serves students in any of the grades kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12), including without limitation a:
(A) Public school operated by a school district;
(B) Public school operated by a state agency or institution of higher education;
(C) Public charter school; or
(D) Private school.
(b) A person commits the offense of cyberbullying if:
(1) He or she transmits, sends, or posts a communication by electronic means with the purpose to frighten, coerce, intimidate, threaten, abuse, or harass another person; and
(2) The transmission was in furtherance of severe, repeated, or hostile behavior toward the other person.
(c) The offense of cyberbullying may be prosecuted in the county where the defendant was located when he or she transmitted, sent, or posted a communication by electronic means, in the county where the communication by electronic means was received by the person, or in the county where the person targeted by the electronic communications resides.
(d)
(1) Cyberbullying is a Class B misdemeanor.
(2) Cyberbullying is a Class A misdemeanor if the victim is a school employee.
