Multimedia Reporting (Bradford-Utsler)

When the phone chimed for the 200th time, Melissa Coons, Overland Park junior, had had enough. Her phone would go off in class, while she was at work, and even while she slept. It seemed as though it never stopped ringing. Her life had been disturbed enough by her ex-boyfriend’s relentless text messaging. She finally decided to change her phone number.

Most phones that are currently being sold are compatible for text messaging. Most providers are selling phone plans that include text messaging packages. However, going over your alotted texts costs ten cents for every extra text message.

This is an increasingly common occurrence in the new technological savvy world of cell phones. Text messaging has opened the door to another medium of conversation. However, when the conversation is unwanted, it is called another thing: harassment.

Yet, this type of harassment is gaining more notice after a recent case in Wisconsin. A 26-year-old man sent his 19-year-old ex-girlfriend over 1,000 text messages in a one month period. Charges on the woman’s phone totaled $146.40. Each message that was sent to her after her monthly allotted text messages were used were ten cents a piece. The woman was eventually forced to change her phone number.

Text messaging is a way for people to send short messages to each other on their cell phones without actually speaking into the phone. It is a popular way for teens and young adults to communicate and is gaining popularity in today’s fast paced world.

State officials are starting to notice text message harassment and are taking action. Oklahoma legislators passed House bill 1804 in March 2005 making harassment by sending numerous text messages a criminal act. The new law states that it is against the law for anyone to use telecommunication or electronic communication, regardless of whether a conversation ensues or not, to annoy, threaten, harass, or annoy the person at the called number. The law goes on to state that anyone who is involved in or knowingly permits someone to make repeated calls or electronic communications or simultaneous calls or electronic communications with the intent of harassing the called number to be breaking the law.

“The texts would just keep coming. My phone bill was horrifying,” said Coons about the ordeal.

In Kansas, there are a couple laws that pertain to phone harassment. Kansas statute pertaining to telephone harassment says that making a telephone call, whether or not conversation ensues, with intent to abuse, threaten or harass any person at the called number is against the law. It is also against Kansas law to make or cause someone’s phone to repeatedly ring, with intent to harass any person at the called number. Kansas has yet to revise this statute to accommodate other, newer forms of communication such as text messaging. There have been no efforts to attempt to change the current statutes as of yet.

“It’s really creepy that people are doing this. I think that people should just get a life,” said Adam Turk, Baldwin senior.

Currently, the Lawrence Police Department files all types of phone harassment under the same category so it is unknown how many text message harassment cases have occurred in Lawrence.

“I have some friends that have had similar things happen to them. It’s just not fair that someone else can do this,” said Coons.

Most states have laws like Kansas that do not single out text message harassment. The laws apply to telephone use in general.