It's Time for the US Supreme Court to Weigh in on Cyberbullying in Schools
The U.S. Supreme Court today agreed to review the legal authority of schools to address cyberbullying among students, whether it is on premises or off, or likely to cause a substantial disruption to the school. The cases have been all over the place, and those of us who care about finding solutions and legal certainty have been calling for consistency and clarity in the law. We applaud this move and look forward to both sharing our thoughts and finding ways to address this complicated issue from a multi-stakeholder approach. To learn more about the law in this area, read our " Cyberbullying and the US Law " article. Note that the cases may have been updated since this was written, but the issues remain unchanged. By Dr. Parry Aftab on January 16th, 2012
Additional Resources:
Free Speech and Public School Students
US Schools and Constitution Legal Guide
Take Five!
When someone attacks you, or something upsets you online or offline, it's not a good time to use the Internet, your digital devices or shoot pics. We tend to react badly, emotionally and without thinking about consequences. Parry Aftab teaches kids and teens to "Take 5!" - Drop the mouse (or device) and do something they love to do for five minutes. It helps them regain perspective. It helps them avoid doing something they may regret.
This works as well for adults as it does for young people. When something online or offline upsets you, do something unplugged for a while. Dance, talk to a friend, eat a cookie, bake a few, listen to music, do yoga, run, play basketball, sew, paint, draw or read. Find what makes you feel better. Find what empowers you and brings you balance. Then use that to help you avoid acting out unwisely.
Cyberbullying and Adults
Cyberbullying isn't just for kids. It never was. But when adults are involved, it's called "cyberharassment" not "cyberbullying." WiredSafety's award-winning website dedicated to the issue of cyberbullying and young people is StopCyberbullying.org . It's the most popular cyberbullying website in the world. Adult cyberharssment is handled here at WiredSafety.org's cyberbullying section.