I think that they should be punished. It also depends on how old they are. If they are a lot older, then they should be punished more. This is because at a later age, you should be more mature and have a better judgement. I think of this as a form of cyberbullying because you can ruin someones life. You can make them loose their friends, get bullied, etc. This can greatly affect their grades, social life, and so much more. While I don't think they should get expelled, I think that they should get some form of punishments. They should apologize to the person they hurt. I would call the parents and if it is really bad, they should get suspended. It really depends on each situation.
We don't have to use dirty stream water, and physically use our hands. If we didn't have washing mashines, our rivers, lakes, and oceans would be even more polluted, with all the soaps and detergents.