You probably remember the class bully from elementary school.

That kid who either bullied others on the playground, or made fun of them at the lunchroom table.

Now there's a new kind of bully, one that requires technology. It's called "cyberbullying."

That's when a minor posts or sends information intended to scare, embarrass or harrass another minor. It can happen a number of ways, including instant messaging, e-mail, Web sites, handheld device or cell phone.

And it happens more often than you might think.

A nationwide poll found more than 13 million children in the United States, ages 6 to 17, have been victims of cyber bullying. But 2million of those kids never tell anyone.

Teenagers these days no longer have to leave their house to socialize. They can do so in the privacy of their own homes, thanks to social network sites like Myspace and Facebook. Those are sites where users can create their own Web pages, share everything from pictures to ring tones, chat with friends and make new ones. But these social networking sites have become "the new playground" -- where meanness is alive and well.

 "It's becoming about as important for parents to talk with their kids about cyberbullying, just as it is to talk with them about drugs, sex and other topics," said Eric Thomas, the president of ETC Computer Solutions. Even though bullying was once considered "kid stuff," he says "cyberbullying" is a little more serious. And it can be used against you years later.

 "When I get ready to hire a particular applicant, I'm going to google their name, and if I find that that person has taken part in cyberbullying, that's going to be a big factor in whether I hire them or not," Thomas added.

But here's the tricky part. Kids can resort to "cyberbullying by proxy." That's when kids steal other kids' passwords to sites like MySpace and begin chatting with the victim's friends or even strangers. He or she may use the victim's account to say mean or offensive things.

Even though bullying has always been around, its methods have become a little more sophisticated, secretive, yet public at the same time.

A group of area educators and technical professionals have created a Web site to inform parents about cyberbullying and other internet threats. You can find it at www.awarenessistheanswer.com.

Thomas says the group's goal is to help educate parents, teachers and kids.

We checked around to see if it's a problem in the Tri-States, but we found the problem can often times be difficult to spot.

You probably wouldn't want to see what's posted on many of the Web pages, found on social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook; we'd get in trouble for showing them to you. These sites are places to connect with friends and meet new ones, but kids also use the site to post hateful remarks about their peers.

Jody Cooper is the director of technology for the Quincy Public School District. She says she hasn't heard of cyberbullying being a problem in the school district. But she says that doesn't mean it's not happening.

"Rarely, I have heard people talk about something that has gone on a home, it carries over to school, and maybe a child comes in upset because of something that happened on the Internet when they were home," Thomas said.

But kids have limited chances to "cyberbully" in the Quincy school district. Cooper says filters block social networking websites during school. But other schools we talked with have experienced an occasional problem with  cyberbullying, especially in junior high. One high school principal said kids tend to send nasty e-mails to each other, which can create problems at school.

"The consequences are the same for a child being bullied in any situation,'' said Cooper. "They're handled on a case by case basis, depending on circumstances that come up."

Eric Thomas says "cyberbullying" isn't just a school problem. "Everyone needs to be educated about it,'' he said. "I think what we're seeing is the newness of the Internet still. Kids are figuring out new ways to do the same things they've been doing for years."

So even though bullying has been around for years, "cyberbullying" is far more serious and the consequences are a little more severe. If a lawsuit were to be filed, parents can be held responsible for something their kid posted and downloaded on their computer, even if they didn't know about it.

Cooper says parents it's important to keep your computer in an open area of your home--and to talk with your children about what they're doing online.

By the way, MySpace users are supposed to be at least 18 years old. But the age limit isn't enforced, so many kids younger than that are capable of registering and creating a Web page.

Illinois lawmakers want to crack down on cyberbullying.

Later this month, they'll discuss legislation that would allow schools to suspend or expel students who threaten their peers, teachers or school officials on social networking sites or by instant messaging.