SHREVEPORT, La -- Bullying has taken a shift from the classroom to the web leading some young people across the country to take their own lives. A new Louisiana law makes cyberbullying a crime.

Lawmakers are trying to send a message that though cyberbullying can start as a joke, it can turn deadly.

Andrea Bryant says she limits the amount of time her 11 and 13-year-old children spend online because she knows how cruel some kids' comments can be in online networking sites. Now she has help protecting her kids from Sate Representative Roy Burrell's cyberbullying bill that's been signed into law.

"We don't want to criminalize them initially we want to send a message to them that you're on the wrong track, that what you're doing is very serious and that it could lead to the death of others," said Burrell.

The new law makes it a crime to send harassing or abusive online messages that are meant to torment or intimidate anyone under age 17. Minors who do will be referred to counseling.

"If they actually put it into action and people see things being done as a result of that, then hopefully it will curtail some of that activity," said Bryant.

Adults who are caught cyberbullying, will face penalties that include a maximum six months in jail, a 5-hundred dollar fine or both. Parents who want to report this type of crime, can contact law enforcement officials or your child's school.