Education Legislation: Cyber-Bullying

These days, school bullying isn't just about stealing lunch money and copying homework -- it's reached a new height: cyber-bullying. Students are taunted, teased and harassed online not only by their peers, but parents as well, leading to emotional trauma and, in some cases, drastic repercussions.

In early 2008, for example, a fifth-grade girl fell asleep and some students pulled up her shirt, took a photo and posted the photo to MySpace for other students at the Naples, Fla., elementary school to view. This picture will forever circulate on the Internet, and such cases of cyber-bullying can be degrading and publically humiliating.

But cyber-bullying can also have tragic results, as it did for a 13-year-old Missouri girl. A 49-year-old woman created a fake MySpace profile, posing as "Josh" to find out what the 13-year-old girl was saying about her daughter. The girl committed suicide after this fictitious boy dumped her.

Incidents like these are popping up all around the country, prompting states to add online harassment protocols to their school safety policies. Legislation geared at penalizing cyber-bullying has been introduced in a number of states, and at least seven states passed laws against digital harassment in 2007, according to The Pantagraph, a daily newspaper in central Illinois.

The following are examples of recently passed legislation:

• California Bill: AB 86
  In August 2008, the California state legislature passed one of the first laws in the country to deal directly with cyber-bullying. The legislation gives school administrators the authority to discipline students who bully others offline or online.
• Maryland Bill: HB 199
  This requires the State Board of Education to develop a model policy prohibiting bullying, harassment and intimidation in schools. This includes intentional conduct, such as verbal, physical or written conduct or electronic communication.
• Illinois Bill: SB 2512
  School districts must incorporate into the school curriculum a component on Internet safety to be taught at least once each school year to students in grade three and above. Subject matter may include safe online communications, privacy protection, cyber-bullying, viewing inappropriate material, file sharing and the importance of open communication with responsible adults.
• Missouri Bill: SB 818
  School boards are obligated to have a written policy requiring school administrators to report crimes of harassment and stalking committed on school property to law enforcement. Harassment includes communication by any means.
• Florida Bill: HB 669
  Bullying or harassment, including through the use of software accessed through a computer or computer network, is prohibited during any school-related activity. Upon the Department of Education's approval of the school district's bullying and harassment policy, a district may receive safe school funds.

To stop cyber-bullying in your school, check out these resources:

• www.cyberbullying.us
• www.cyberbully411.org
• www.stopcyberbullying.org
• Cyber Bullying by Robin M. Kowalski, Susan P. Limber and Patricia W. Agatston

*This story is from Converge magazine's Winter 2009 issue.

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