Mean machines: with today's technology, the turf of bullies has changed.(online bullying)

When 13-year-old Katie recently went online, she couldn't believe that some classmates were making fun of her. The seventh grader from New Jersey discovered mean and hurtful comments written about her in an online Web journal.

"It was really offensive and upsetting to me because I knew everyone could see it online," Katie told Weekly Reader. "There was nothing I could do to take it down."

Katie's story is not unusual. She is one of the many victims of cyberbullying. "Cyberbullying is when a child torments, humiliates, or tries to frighten another child using interactive technology," online safety expert Parry Aftab told Weekly Reader.

Instead of teasing or picking on kids in the school yard, bullies have new territory--cyberspace. The explosion in technology, such as computers, cell phones, and interactive games, gives bullies more places to do their dirty work.

Cyberbullies use e-mail, instant messages, text messages, and online …