Cyberbullying occurs when technology, mainly cell phones and computers, are used to bully others. When kids get cyberbullied, why don't schools do more to help?
Why Aren’t Schools More Involved?
As Bill Belsey the world’s foremost expert on cyberbullying and creator of Cyberbullying.ca, explains, “The reality is that unlike traditional forms of bullying, this is beyond the reach of schools and it is going to involve parents to be much more vigilant. Educators can play a role in this but with the legal arm or the legal reach that administrators and school boards have, they are going to find that it is very limited. These things happen very quickly and more often than not happen beyond the reach of the school and happen off school property.”
But schools are not ignoring the issue. Many of them hold anti-cyberbullying assemblies and have computer policies they constantly update. Some schools have changed their bullying policies to include harassment with cell phones and computer technology. Awareness of cyberbullying through seminars and education is happening.
The Challenge that Schools Face
As a great deal of cyberbullying happens off school grounds, schools are often stuck in a tricky situation. The effects can be felt or seen on school grounds but the school has little or no authority when it comes to behaviour that occurs off school property. Taking action against a student that cyberbullies in these instances can lead to a legal nightmare for the school. In many scenarios, the options for the school are severely limited.
Acceptable Use Policy
Many schools are now getting students and their parents to sign an acceptable use policy. The policy details what is and what is not acceptable with the technology at the school. When signed, the document is a legal contract and it gives the school authority to take action and deal with abusive or bullying conduct if they choose.
The Parents and Police
In most cases where the school has no options in how to go after cyberbullies, it's up to the parents to take action. Usually the action means getting the police involved as in the case of Massachusetts teenager Phoebe Prince. She was bullied online and at school, constantly harassed through text messages and on social networking sites. She couldn't take the agony and committed suicide in 2010. The police arrested and charged nine students at the high school she attended; the charges ranged from criminal harassment to stalking to violations of civil rights.
An Expert's Opinion on Schools and Cyberbullying
In the document Cyber-Dilemmas: Gendered Hierarchies, Free Expression and Cyber-Safety in Schools by Dr. Shaheen Shariff, PhD., and Rachel Gouin, Doctoral Student, the authors take an interesting stand. "Research suggests that schools perpetuate hierarchies of power and tacitly condone cyber-bullying by refusing to address it. While its nebulous nature and ability to spread like wildfire are indeed challenging, school responses to reports of cyber-bullying do not differ significantly from reported reactions to general forms of bullying. Over the last decade, schools have grappled with solutions for reducing bullying in the physical school setting. Shariff’s doctoral review of emerging litigation on bullying, disclosed common patterns in school responses to victim complaints. Plaintiffs explained that when approached for support, school administrators and teachers put up a “wall of defence”. According to some parents surveyed, school administrators allegedly: a) assumed that the victims (plaintiffs) invited the abuse; b) believed parents exaggerated the problem; and c) assumed that written anti-bullying policies absolved them from doing more to protect victims. Emerging litigation against schools suggests that parents of victims are increasingly seeking compensation and protection from courts. And, while parents unquestionably have a supervisory and educational role to play, few researchers have investigated the role that can legitimately be expected of schools. Schools are faced with difficult policy and programming issues. They must balance legal constraints such as equality and freedom of expression through innovative, educational responses to address bullying."
The paper continues, "We believe the wall of defence by some school officials stems from a fear of litigation and lack of knowledge about the complexities of bullying -- particularly cyber-bullying. That fear is driven by a lack of clarity about the legal boundaries of their responsibilities to students. These boundaries are increasingly blurred as technology and diversity change the landscape of North American schools. Shariff’s earlier research suggests that schools have too much information on how to handle bullying, but insufficient knowledge about its complexities. Larson observes that when school administrators are confronted with unprecedented problems, they ignore the root causes and redefine the problem to fit traditional policy approaches. When this does not work, they find it easier to blame victims for inviting the problem; or worse, do nothing in the hopes that the problem will simply go away."
In Closing
When victims and parents seek a solution to cyberbully problems from schools, it is clear that in many instances schools will be unable to help, whether unwittingly or legally. Other avenues to a solution may be the only way to get some relief. Dr. Shaheen Shariff, PhD., offers some closing thoughts, "Given that there is a dearth of research on emerging legal standards as they relate to cyber-bullying in schools, schools are not well informed or prepared on how to address cyber-violence. There is currently a policy gap that needs to be addressed. Moreover, not only are traditional responses to bullying ineffective, they are inapplicable to cyber-space."
Toby Welch - Toby is a full-time freelance writer who specializes in magazine articles, online writing, e-books, and manuscript editing.
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