Bullying is a problem that has existed for a long time, but has not been adequately addressed. High-level forms of violence, such as assaults and murders, historically receive the most media attention. Lower-level forms of violence such as bullying have only begun to be addressed by researchers, parents, guardians and authority figures in recent years. It is only in recent years that bullying has been recognized and recorded as a separate and distinct crime. A new form of bullying that has only become a problem in recent years is cyberbullying. Most states have laws that explicitly include forms of electronic communication within their harassment laws. School safety is increasingly at the center of state legislative action. There has been an increase in cyberbullying legislation enacted between the years 2006 and 2010. Specifically, this paper focuses on cyberbullying policies in schools in the state of Tennessee by examining the definition and history of cyberbullying, research, and legislation. on cyberbullying and Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools' efforts against cyberbullying. Definitions of cyberbullyingU.S. Department of Health Definition of CyberbullyingCyberbullying is defined as bullying that occurs using electronic technology, including cell phones, computers, tablets, social media sites, text messages, chat rooms and websites. Cyberbullying is considered different because children who are cyberbullied are often bullied in person as well. Furthermore, children who are victims of cyberbullying have greater difficulty running away from their attackers. This is because cyberbullying can happen at any time. It can reach a child when they are alone, it is committed anonymously, of...... middle of paper ......u/cyberbulliesMetropolitan Nashville Public Schools. (2012, May). Bullying and harassment SP 6.110. Nashville, TN: MNPS.Murray, S.S., Hewitt, P., Maniss, S., & Molinatti, J. (2012). “They're just kids”: Recognizing and preventing bullying. National Social Science Journal, 39(1), 56-64. Slovacco, K., & Singer, J. B. (2011). School social workers' perceptions of cyberbullying. Children and Schools, 33(1), 5-16. Thomlison, R. J., Thomlison, B., Sowers, K. M., Theriot, M. T., & Dulmus, C. N. (2004). School staff observations on bullying and victimization among rural elementary and middle school children. Journal Of Evidence-Based Social Work, 1(2/3), 25. doi:10.1300/J394v1n02•03U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (ed.). (2012). What is cyberbullying? Retrieved October 7, 2012, from http://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/what-is-it/index.html