Gone are the days when bullies are confined within school walls. Now, with a few clicks on a keyboard, bullies can send their hateful messages using far-reaching channels for the whole cyber world to see any time of the day and any day of the week.

Their actions are known as cyberbullying, and over the past decade, the method of attack has been on the rise. Up to 43 percent of middle and high school have been cyberbullied and a majority of all cyberbullying cases involve minors, according to the National Crime Prevention Council.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cyberbullying is an emerging public health threat that has led to those involved on either end of the attacks to harm themselves or others.

Most times no physical wounds are left from this form of attack so it’s hard to measure the damage done. What’s more, laws against cyberbullying are still emerging and vary by state, so many parents of cyberbullying victims have resorted to suing the family of alleged bullies for slander, or mental and emotional abuse.

In some cases, victims who are able to prove that their emotional injuries manifest into “bodily injuries” – such as headaches, stomachaches, and sleeplessness – may be entitled to compensation.

Many standard homeowner insurance policies don’t cover personal injuries, but some add-ons could apply in cyberbullying cases. Some policies include cyberbullying under personal liability coverage, which can help both those who are suing and those on the receiving end of the lawsuit – especially if the alleged bully is a minor. The coverage would help pay for legal expenses and compensate for any damage up to a pre-determined amount.

The Insurance Services Office, Inc. offers its member companies a home insurance plan that protects the insured against personal injury from “oral or written publication, in any manner, of material that slanders or libels a person, disparages a person's goods, products or services, or violates a person's right of privacy,” an ISO spokesperson told Insure.com.

Indeed, there are limits to coverage as insurance companies struggle to find how best to handle cyber liability. For example, bullies whose actions intended to cause “bodily injuries” may not be covered, according to the ISO.  It is difficult, even in a courtroom, to prove intention.

Because cyberbullying is such a grey area, some member insurance companies have language that excludes “electronic aggressors” in their policy, according to the American Association of Insurance Services, an advisory group that supplies more than 700 companies with standardized policy forms.  The AAIS offers a different position to cyberbullying than the ISO. Its language, even in umbrella policies -- which are known to provide extra liability coverage -- does not offer protection either.

State laws on cyberbullying are still evolving and so is the insurance industry’s strategy. Until a formal response emerges, the burden continues to lie with parents to identify and stop bullying to prevent emotional damage to victims and potential financial damage to families involved.