Some journal articles and online networks have raised the issue of the legalities of cyberbullying; generally, can one be prosecuted for being a cyber bully? The web site STOP cyberbullying states, “Cyberbullying may arise to the level of a misdemeanor cyberharassment charge, or if the child is young enough may result in the charge of juvenile delinquency (¶ 6). Cyberbullying has become such a newly debated issue that United States Supreme Court cases have been cited in regards to their implications on the cyberbully and the school personnel. Both Willard (2010) and Mason (2008) discussed Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, Bethel School District No. 403 v. Fraser, and Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier; all of these cases address students’ rights to free speech. Willard also raised the issue of school officials’ responsibility to respond to off-campus behavior. She wrote, “…school officials should have the authority to impose discipline for on- or –off-campus sexting acts that are directed at harming a student’s reputation or causing a hostile environment at school for that student†(p. 8). She interpreted that school officials have the authority to respond to cyberbullying that takes place off campus if it makes the victim feel unsafe, interferes with the victim’s education, or creates a significant disruption at school.
School districts across the country are now having to address cyberbullying by creating and implementing policy and discipline guidelines.
In 1999 U. S. Attorney General, Janet Reno, sent to Vice President Al Gore her report titled Cyberstalking: A New Challenge for Law Enforcement and Industry which began to explore ways to address this issue. The report stated, “Unfortunately, many of the attributes of this technology – low cost, ease of use, and anonymous nature, among others – make it an attractive medium for fraudulent scams, child exploitation, and increasingly, a new concern known as “cyberstalking†(¶ 1). The report acknowledges that there is no universally accepted definition of cyberstalking, however it does include ‘leaving written messages or objects’ within the defines of stalking; hence, would leaving harassing text messages be considered stalking which could then be a criminal act?
STOP cyberbullying. Direct attacks: Cyberbullying by proxy. Retrieved March 3, 2011
from http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/how_it_works/direct_attacks.html
STOP cyberbullying. What is cyberbullying, exactly? Retrieved March 3, 2011 from
http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/what_is_cyberbullying_exactly/index.html
STOP cyberbullying. Take a stand against cyberbyllying. Retrieved March 3, 2011 from
http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/take_action/take_a_stand_against_cyberbullying.html
Willard, N. (2010, August 2). School response to cyberbullying and sexting: The legal
challenges. Retrieved from http://www.csriu.org/documents/documents/cyberbullyingsextinglegal_000.pdf
Mason, L. M. (2008). Cyberbullying: A preliminary assessment for school personnel.
Psychology in the Schools, 45(4), (pp. 323 – 348). Doi:10.1002/pits.20301
U.S. Attorney General. (1999). Cyberstalking: A new challenge for law enforcement and
industry. Retrieved from http://www.justice.gov/criminal/cybercrime/cyberstalking.htm
School performance does not go to good
lack of concentration
Become upset
Have sleeping problems
Get headaches and stomachaches
Cyber Bullies can get a Max of 2-3 years in Jail and a $5000 worth of fines
for Minors the consequences are not so great
They can get charge for it and can go to the jail
It lowers self-esteem, affects the developmental growth of a person's personality and even suicide.
going to juvie
get arrested
Cyberbullying comes with serious consequences which deters a lot of cyberbullies. There has also been a lot of activity in discouraging this sort of behaviour.
Cyberbullying, like any other type of bullying, can cause serious issues for the person being bullied including the loss of their confidence (if they had any to start with) and it has been linked to suicide.
There are none
No, Laura Barns is not a real person. She is a fictional character from the movie "Unfriended", which is a horror film centered around the consequences of cyberbullying.
It has been in some cases.
Did you mean exclusive cyberbullying? If you did, then it is when a certain group or race is being targeted by cyberbullying.
Did you mean exclusive cyberbullying? If you did, then it is when a certain group or race is being targeted by cyberbullying.
It's not necessarily something you can outright prove, but it's something you can encourage by showing the consequences of unsupervised use, such as cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying mostly effects the victim.
there are cyberbullying stories you just have to look for them
No, cyberbullying shouldn't be allowed anywhere.