Social networking means many teenagers are never far from a bully, harassment or unwanted sexual messages. Teens are joining social-networking sites at younger ages, spreading bullying and other ugly behaviors to the virtual realm. As a result, officials have been ramping up efforts to prevent threats like online harassment and “sexting.”

“In the past, you dealt with a bully on the playground. You left and it was over,” said Officer Marc MacDonald, a school resource officer with the Fairfax County police. “These kids are 24 hours a day into social media, on their phones, everywhere they go. They can’t just walk away from it.”

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