I GUESS to be able to label someone as a bully', we first need to define the term itself. So, what can we really call bullying today?

What immediately springs to mind is the memory of childhood taunts in the playground; perhaps someone hasn't got their shoes on the right feet, or has forgotten their P.E kit and has to borrow the ugly, smelly spare one. That always generates a few giggles.

But, this seemingly harmless kind of bullying' appears to be being put on the back bench, with the current generation's constantly changing and shocking headlines around such fads as happy slapping'.

Can we possibly hope that bullying really is playground-simple anymore?

Take this happy slapping' example, for instance; groups of giggling Beavis and Butthead-esque' youths targeting and violently attacking friends, schoolmates and even complete strangers - purely for the fun of it.

Oh, and catching it all on camera of course. Now, that personally screams assault' to me, but can it be labelled as either?

One thing is for certain; bullying has definitely gone up scale in recent years. Part of this can be clearly linked to the Internet; such is the temptation for the stereotypical cowardice of a bully'.

In no way can we suggest that the internet is the sole purpose for the steady increase in serious cases involving targeted children and teenagers, yet there are so many opportunities for these cases to occur, simply through such mediums as MSN, Facebook or MySpace.

It is incredibly, undeniably easy to find someone's email address, Facebook or Myspace account and harass them from the comfort of your own home, if you were that way inclined.

So, to beat this problem? Be it the police, the government or schools, there's only one message to get across. Step up your game, because the bullies' certainly have.