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What is Cyberbullying ? The phenomenon of cyberbullying has been defined as the willful and repeated harm or embarrassment inflicted through the use of an ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: What is


1
What is Cyberbullying?
  • The phenomenon of cyberbullying has been defined
    as the willful and repeated harm or embarrassment
    inflicted through the use of an electronic device
    such as a computer or cell phone.
  • Students generally engage in cyberbullying by
    using electronic devices to send sexual remarks,
    hate speech or to gang up on victims by making
    them the subject of ridicule in forums, and
    posting false statements as fact aimed at
    humiliation.

2
How is Cyberbullying different from traditional
bullying?
  • Cyberbully can hide his/her identity by using
    anonymous email addresses or pseudonymous screen
    names.
  • Cyberbully is often more cruel using technology
    because he/she can do so from a distance and not
    have to confront the Victim.
  • Victims often do not know who the bully is, or
    why they are being targeted.
  • The harmful actions of a Cyberbully can reach a
    large number of people with little effort and in
    a short amount of time.
  • Cyberbullying easily allows others to be involved
    in an attack on a victim.
  • Greater harm to the Victim, as he/she perceives
    that everyone is aware of the harmful comments.
  • Parents and School Staff cannot easily monitor.

3
Are there laws that prohibit Cyberbullying?
  • Effective January 1, 2009, Public Act 095-0849
    (720 ILCS 5/12-7.5) in Illinois amended the
    definition of cyberstalking to include creating
    and maintaining a website or webpage that is
  • Accessible to others for at least 24 hours
  • Contains statements harassing another person and
  • Communicates or solicits the commission of a
    threat of immediate or future bodily harm, sexual
    assault, confinement, or restraint to a person or
    that persons family member or places or solicits
    another to place a person or that persons family
    member in reasonable apprehension of immediate or
    future bodily harm, sexual assault, confinement
    or restraint.
  • Cyberstalking is a Class 4 felony. A second or
    subsequent conviction for cyberstalking is a
    Class 3 felony.


4
Do School Districts have an obligation to monitor
online forums for cyberbullying and other online
misconduct?
  • No.
  • School staff should be advised not to create an
    alias or provide false information in order to
    gain access to a students e-mail or social
    networking site.
  • School Districts do have the obligation to
    respond to and investigate allegations of
    cyberbullying or other online misconduct.

5
What right does a School District have to
monitor material created or viewed on District
computers?
  • The School District can monitor, search, and
    otherwise access most material that is created,
    viewed, or otherwise accessed on District owned
    technology.
  • This includes the right to access screen shots
    of internet pages that students have accessed,
    including websites (e.g., Facebook) even if the
    website itself is protected by a password.
  • Students should be required to sign an acceptable
    use policy, which notifies them of the Districts
    right to monitor and search technology.
  • Students may be disciplined for failure to comply
    with the terms of the AUP, even if their speech
    is arguably protected by the First Amendment.

6
Can the School District be held liable for the
actions of a student who engages in
cyberbullying?
  • School districts generally cannot be held liable
    for the actions of a bully or harassing student.
  • School District are responsible for its own
    response (or lack of response) to bullying or
    harassing students.

7
When can a student be disciplined for off-campus
online misconduct?
  • Off-campus online misconduct may be disciplined
    if
  • 1. The Board of Education has a policy that
    allows discipline for the misconduct at issue
  • 2. Theres a sufficient nexus between the
    off-campus, online misconduct and the school
    environment and
  • 3. The speech substantially disrupts the
    school environment.

8
What is a Sufficient Nexus?
  • Courts generally find a sufficient nexus where
    the student somehow introduces the material into
    the school community, despite having created it
    off-campus. Creates online content off campus,
    but accesses it on campus
  • Sends the online content to other students at
    the school
  • Aims the material at students or staff
  • Encourages action by students or other members of
    the school community
  • Creates false online materials that third parties
    might construe as being created by the school
    or a staff member
  • Creates online materials that school officials
    reasonably believe would have a serious impact on
    student relationships.

9
What factors weigh against a finding of a
Sufficient Nexus?
  • The only notification to school officials of the
    information was made by other students, parents,
    or third parties, unless that material was
    aimed at the third party who notified the
    school
  • That the student clearly did not intend the
    speech to reach campus and publicized it in such
    a manner that it was unlikely to do so and
  • That a school official was hunting for it
    online.

10
What is a Substantial Disruption?
  • Some specific facts that may support the presence
    of a risk of substantial disruption
  • Whether the content is violent/threatening
  • Whether the content is misleading or false
  • Whether there have been previous disruptions re
    similar content
  • Whether there has been disruption in the
    classroom
  • Voiced concerns from parents
  • Staff absences due to safety/stress/etc
  • School officials are being pulled away from their
    ordinary tasks to respond to the effects of a
    students speech

11
What factors may weigh against a finding of
Substantial Disruption?
  • Students are merely discussing the speech at
    issue without any evidence that classroom
    activities were substantially disrupted
  • Only a few students were pulled out of class, or
    school staff spent the same amount of time
    typically spent on small issues at school to deal
    with the problem
  • Ordinary personality conflicts among students
    that may leave one student feeling hurt or
    insecure
  • Officials appear to simply dislike or disagree
    with the content or the message of the speech at
    issue

12
How should School Districts respond to
allegations of Cyberbullying or other Online
Misconduct?
  • Once school staff is made aware of online
    misconduct, including cyberbullying, they should
  • 1. Determine whether an investigation should be
    conducted.
  • 2. Define the nature and scope of the
    investigation.
  • 3. Determine whether to conduct a search.
  • 4. Issue discipline when appropriate.

13
Glen School District 41
  • Anti-Bullying Task Force March 2011
  • Creating a Culture of Care
  • Four Study Groups - Definition and Response,
    Best Practices, School Climate Community
    Education
  • Developed Matrix of Definition Response
  • Defined Best Practices

14
Glen Ellyn School District 41
  • Positive School Climate
  • Community Engagement Education

15
River Trails School District 26
  • The prevention of bullying, intimidation and
    harassment is critical for a safe and effective
    learning environment
  • Addressing Cyberbullying is just one component
  • The district recently updated Board policy on
    Preventing Bullying, Intimidation and Harassment

16
River Trails School District 26
  • All students receive internet safety instruction
  • The District uses iSafe curriculum which includes
    a cyberbullying component
  • Bully phone hotline
  • Anonymous
  • Middle school principal investigates every call
  • Very few calls
  • Staff members investigate allegations of bullying
  • Student reports of bullying tend to be made in
    person to a staff member

17
River Trails School District 26
  • Responses to Bullying
  • Teaching students the different faces of the
    bully
  • A bully may smile while he makes fun of your
    sweater
  • Problem solving with students
  • Involving parents
  • Mentoring younger students
  • 8th grade leadership team

18
River Trails School District 26
  • Parent Universities on Cyber Issues
  • Including sexting, bullying and social media
  • Cook County States Attorney presentation
  • Mt Prospect police presentation
  • Resources for parents on district website
  • http//www.rtsd26.org/dept/Technology/CyberSafety/
    Pages/default.aspx
  • District staff attend professional development on
    internet security and safety

19
River Trails School District 26
  • Recent social networking examples
  • 5th grade boys made facebook page for a 5th grade
    girl (no mean information)
  • Facebook page made for an autistic student (no
    mean information)
  • Racism allegations directed towards coach when
    student did not make team

20
River Trails School District 26
  • Future plans
  • Teach parents ins and outs of social networking
    and how to navigate
  • Update handbooks
  • Provide additional professional development
  • Continue parent universities
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