THE Federal Coalition is calling for changes to existing laws - or for new tougher laws - that would better protect people from cyber-bullying and harassment.

It follows TV host Charlotte Dawson's hospitalisationafter she was attacked by Twitter "trolls" for naming and shaming a user in News Ltd publications who had told her to hang herself.



Chair of the Coalition's online safety working group Paul Fletcher said the "online hate campaign" against Ms Dawson was "shocking".



"No Australian should ever have to go through something like this," Mr Fletcher said.



"Unfortunately, cyber bullying, including through social media services such as Twitter and Facebook is a growing social problem.



"The Coalition has been consulting extensively on whether changes to current laws are required, with a particular focus on cyber bullying in children and young people.



"The sad experience of Charlotte Dawson is another indicator of the importance of a close look at the laws in this area."



The Federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy declined to comment.



Many Twitter users set up fake accounts just for the purpose of joining the campaign against Ms Dawson.



One user set up an account yesterday with the handle '@gohangyourself'.



The user tweeted:



"@MsCharlotteD Like previously stated by the many tweets you've received (sic) ... And also stated by the country of New Zealand. Go hang yourself."



Another user set up an account called "@JoKillYourself" and tweeted:



"@MsCharlotteD Kill yourself and save us the trouble of getting you taken off the air, you worthless w***e.":



The user also posted instructions on how to do it.



News Limited want members of the public to help us identify trolls who threatened and harassed Dawson and other victims of harassment online.



If you know the identity of a Twitter troll email news@dailytelegraph.com.au

Meanwhile NSW Police have vowed to crack down on trolls who hide behind fake names to post vicious and threatening remarks online.



The promise came after Monash University staff member Tanya Heti was stood down by her employer for sending malicious comments via Twitter to Dawson, urging her to hang herself.



"The NSW Police Force takes cyber bullying very seriously," a police spokeswoman said.



"Threats of violence, whether made on-line or not, constitute criminal conduct and will be thoroughly investigated by police ... and if sufficient evidence exists, appropriate action will be taken."



Director of communications law centre at UTS, Professor Michael Fraser told News Ltd that online harassment was assault and that people who had taken part in the hate campaign against Dawson had committed criminal acts.



The Commonwealth Criminal Code of Australia says it is an offense to use ``a carriage service to menace, harass, or cause offense". The offense applies when people use the internet and text messages or phone to be menacing harassing or offensive.



"The online world is not above the law," Prof Fraser said.



"The challenge for us is to build security into online society in the same way as we have into the physical world."



Prof Fraser said the police ought to be investigating people to determine the identity of people who have been hiding behind anonymity to behave in an inhumane way.



"It is the role of law enforcement to follow and investigate where there have been instances of cyber bullying or assault online," he said.



The Australian Federal Police told News Ltd that cyber bullying was generally handled by state and territory police who may apply the Commonwealth legislation, as well as their own legislation.



"However, the acceptance of a cyber bullying investigation is a matter for state and territory police," a spokesperson for the AFP said.



"The AFP encourages those who believe they are a victim of cyber bullying or cyber crime, to report it to police.



"Through initiatives such as ThinkUKnow, the AFP works with the private sector to educate the Australian public to conduct themselves safely online.



"Initiatives such as this are essential to combat crime in this increasingly complex and dynamic environment. Further information about the ThinkUKnow initiative is available at www.thinkuknow.org.au."



The AFP could not confirm that they were tracking people involved in the Dawson cyber bullying case and that it was a matter for the states and territories.



NSW Police said they had not been tracking users as it had not received an official complaint regarding the Dawson case.



Twitter has been contacted for comment to find out whether it would be making available the identity of users that harassed Dawson, and whether it would ban users who harass and threaten people online.



Karalee Evans, APAC digital media strategist for creative agency, Text 100 told News Ltd that platforms themselves, such as Twitter Inc and Facebook, needed to address their Terms of Service and operating procedures in addition to state lawmakers in dealing with online abuse.



"Currently, it is difficult for police to gain access to the details behind abusive accounts in order to follow up complaints, and while I support strong privacy laws in maintaining users rights to anonymity, there needs to be a balance to facilitate the process around dealing with, and bringing accountability with abuse," Ms Evans said.



"At the very minimum, Australian law and Police need to catch up with the internet.



"We need to consider the benefits of a users privacy against the need to moderate dangerous behaviour as a community and as a Government, and implement a weighting towards safety, before its too late and we see a tragedy unfold."



The latest incident follows in the wake of a string of arrests overseas.



Earlier this month, a UK teenager was arrested and Welsh footballer Daniel Thomas suspended from his club after both sent abusive tweets to British Olympic diver Tom Daley.



British student Liam Stacey was jailed for almost two months earlier this year for inciting racial hatred on social media via messages he posted about black footballer Fabrice Muamba.



And Take That front-man Gary Barlow earlier this month became the latest in a long list of celebrities and sports stars to bear the brunt of hateful posts when a troll tweeted mocking remarks about his still-born daughter, Poppy.



Go to cybersmart.gov.au for more information about cyber-bullying.



Readers seeking support should contact Lifeline - 13 11 14 and www.lifeline.org.au or Beyond Blue at www.beyondblue.org.au