Cyberbullying is an ongoing problem in American schools and among teenagers that are not in school when the aggression occurs. This paper points out that laws are not the only answer to addressing the problem. Training of staff, and training teenagers in thoughtful workshops is a better route to take to solve the problem. Adults need to help teens to use social media carefully as well.
Cyberbullying
Are existing laws the most effective strategy to address the issue of cyberbullying? Yes or No.
This paper addresses cyberbullying and uses research articles to answer the question and provide background and perspective. One of the references used for this paper is a story from the Connecticut Post (2011) by Linda Conner Lambeck ("New Cyberbullying Law Forces Schools to Intervene"). A second source used in this paper is written by two professors from the Cyberbullying Research Center -- Sameer Hinduja and Justin Patchin -- who take great care to present narrative that covers a wide range of issues relating to cyberbullying.
While laws are important in terms of setting proper legal standards for expected behavior and by attempting to prevent some cyberbullying behaviors -- and in some cases punishing offenders -- laws are not the most effective strategy in terms of addressing the challenges presented through the act of cyberbullying. Education, information, good communication and training are the most effective strategies, especially when schools, parents, and law enforcement form partnerships to talk to teenagers about the potential harm cyberbullying can inflict on innocent adolescents.
Main Paragraphs
Cyberbullying is quite different from face-to-face bullying, and there are many different challenges when addressing cyberbullying as opposed to face-to-face bullying. First of all, it is far easier for a bully to attack someone through electronic technologies (cell phones, social media, etc.) than to step up to the victim and push or harass that person, Hinduja (et al.) explains on page 2. And because the bully online can hide his or her real identity it makes it difficult to deal with some of the cyberbullying tactics. Another challenge is presented because "…many people don't see the harm associated with it" (Hinduja, 2). After all, some young people rationalize; it's just a few words thrown together on a text message -- what can be the harm in that? Also, many parents do not have the technical skills to intervene in these matters, and teachers in many instances don't care to involve themselves in matters that occur away from school.
There are existing laws relating to cyberbullying and the duty that local law enforcement has is to stay up-to-date with "…ever-evolving state and local laws concerning online behaviors," Hinduja explains (5). As an indication that laws are not in fact the most effective method to put a stop to cyberbullying, Hinduja and Patchin list it on the last page of the article. They ask a pertinent question -- "What can law enforcement do?" -- answering their own question it by stressing that law enforcement must "equip themselves with the skills and knowledge to intervene…" when that makes sense to mediate (5). One thing law officers can do as a preventative measure is to talk to students and to parents about online safety, and they can also be certain that they are aware of local and state laws that pertain to improper online behavior when they are having interactions with parents, school officials and students.
Connecticut is among the states in the U.S. that have recently enacted laws pertaining to cyberbullying, and those new laws put schools on notice that they need to be more vigilant and to be prepared to respond to cyberbullying. According to Linda Lambeck, students and staff members at Trumbull High School are responding positively to new regulations passed into law by the state legislature. The new law in Connecticut requires teachers and administrators in public schools to "…take action if there are repeated online incidents" that have a negative impact on the school environment (Lambeck, p. 1). The law also requires schools to investigate each and every bullying report, and the results of that investigation have to be presented to the parents of the bully and the parents of the victim (Lambeck, 1). Moreover, the new law sets deadlines for officials or teachers to report incidents of cyberbullying.
Not every organization in Connecticut is on board with the new laws; in fact, the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut claims that the law may be "…too broad" to be in tune with First Amendment rights that Constitutionally guarantee free speech (Lambeck, 2). Ana Tantum, a 16-year-old student who is quoted by Lambeck on page 3, wonders if passing laws will really put a stop to cyberbullying. "…At the end of the day what you do at home is hard to control." A parent named Tamara Wrenn at another school is disappointed in the law because she says it does not "…designate someone at each school to make sure it is carried out" (Lambeck, 4). Wrenn also said that calling something a law "…implies it's enforceable and there are concrete actions" to be taken -- which is not necessarily true in Connecticut (Lambeck, 3).
You’re 78% through this paper. Sign up to read the full paper.
Sign Up Now — Instant Access Already a member? Log inAlways verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.