With today’s advancements in technology, cyberbullying, the act of bullying or harassment through the use of digital technology, which includes abuse via e-mail, social networking websites and cell phones, is becoming more and more common and accordingly more problematic among young people. […]
Just this past July, Mississippi passed a law requiring all schools to have an anti-bullying policy in effect by December 31.
“Most school districts in Mississippi probably had some form of a bullying policy before,” Niemeyer said, “but given the increases in bullying that we’re seeing, especially the violence of it, this addition to the law will help prevent bullying in schools, as well as cyberbullying.”
This law even created some anti-bullying programs in schools in Mississippi.
Niemeyer also examined the laws to see if there was a component in them that directly addressed cyberbullying. In 2008, only 14 of the 36 states with anti-bullying laws addressed electronic bullying, intimidation, and harassment directly.
“Now, I believe that out of the 45, 30 address cyberbullying directly,” Niemeyer said.
While Niemeyer said he does not know much about the actual laws that apply while using online networks, he said that dealing with the issue as a school administrator was sometimes extremely difficult.
“Cyberbullying (on the Internet) is done totally off campus, but it involved your students, so it’s something that has an impact at the school,” he said.
“But it’s problematic for a school official to try to address something that never touched school property, so in some respects their hands are tied.”
Read the full story at the Daily Mississippian.
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