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There's a legal element to this debate. Schools have been held liable for bullying that takes place off-campus if school is the nexus between the bully and victim and if the school finds out about it but does not address it. If a parent informs the school that their child is being bullied online by classmates then doing nothing may not be a wise option for the school. Schools should have bullying policies and enforce them as needed.
ok im not saying do not intervene if it happens but i think it certainly depends on WHERE it happens..for example, if it happens online and by chance u see it at home are you going to get involved with in the middle of some teenage drama? And when that teenager starts cussing u out and telling you off saying they dont have to listen to u(cuz they arent at school) then what are you going to do?
I think there's a huge difference between "teenaged drama" and "cyberbullying", and that jumping in and scolding the little miscreants is not only, or even the best of, all possible options available.
And-- just wondering here-- Tex, your posting style has changed tremendously since the OP. What on earth suddenly convinced you that the English language was your enemy?
There's a legal element to this debate. Schools have been held liable for bullying that takes place off-campus if school is the nexus between the bully and victim and if the school finds out about it but does not address it. If a parent informs the school that their child is being bullied online by classmates then doing nothing may not be a wise option for the school. Schools should have bullying policies and enforce them as needed.
Actually, there really isn't a jurisdiction when it comes to the internet. Schools can just as easily be sued for interfering as for not interfering, everything depends on a parent's grievance.
However, it makes no sense that a parent should expect a school to intervene if his/her child is being bullied and the bullying is not occurring on school grounds and/or there is no evidence of bullying while school is in session. The same is true if a co-worker is harassing you off the job; the company has very little jurisdiction/grounds to prevent the harassment b/c it isn't occurring during work hours.
This is why the police exist; they have jurisdiction everywhere, especially when one is not at work/school. If you are being harassed in a bar, call the police; at the grocery store, call the police. Even if you know the person in a work or school environment, there is a limited amount that a school or company can do to prevent the harassment. An expelled student and a fired employee can and will still harass.
I still do not understand why people are so hesitant to get the police involved in such cases. In fact, it is this apprehension that usually enables the bullying to continue and escalate until one has no other option but to call the police.
But there is legal liability schools can face: Schools Can Be Sued For Online, Off Campus Harassment. However, I'm not sure that all cyberbullying would rise to the level of a police matter, which is why schools are often looked to as the authority to try and control it, provided that the bullies and victim are connected through school.
But there is legal liability schools can face: Schools Can Be Sued For Online, Off Campus Harassment. However, I'm not sure that all cyberbullying would rise to the level of a police matter, which is why schools are often looked to as the authority to try and control it, provided that the bullies and victim are connected through school.
Cyberbullying is harassment/stalking, plain and simple. Not to mention that, when the harassment is occuring online, in writing, there is plenty of evidence for the police to see. Just as a threatening e-mail constitutes harassment, so does cyberbullying constitute [online] harassment.
Moreover, while schools may face legal action, I have seen many cases in which cyberbullying has resulted in suicide and schools have not been held accountable. While a school *should* do something, that doesn't mean that it *can* or *will* do something.
And when it involves the life of a child, I really wouldn't rely on a school to rein a bully in. Get the police involved and the bully will backoff, plain and simple: no need for lawyers or meetings with a principal or teachers, just call the police, speak to an officer, file a report and the bully and his/her parents will get a knock on the door explaining what will happen if the harassment continues. People seem to think that the police can't do anything or don't have jurisdiction, but this is simply untrue. The police have way more jurisdiction and clout than any school.
I say no, but if it spills over in the school realm then yes. Bullying has to stop. Some kids need to learn how to have a little compassion for other kids and adults.
wait wait ...let me make sure i got this right..so if a teacher sees a child doing something..even OUTSIDE of school property and not DURING school hours they have to report them?
My roommate and i had a discussion on this that if i went to a club and a 16 year old student snuck in, would i report them. I told him look if they snuck in, its not my job to stop what i am doing just to go play tattle tale on a student...so i told him i would do nothing. The only things i know that teachers have to report is child molestation and/or domestic violence.
wait...so if you saw kids ganging up on someone you would just walk by just because you don't want to be a snitch?
Our school district has been working for at least 10 years to minimize bullying and cyberbulling. There are programs out there for school districts.
There is a difference between hosting awareness programs and being responsible for policing cyber bullying. My school has done awareness programs but we are not responsible for policing what kids do on their own computers and cell phones even in school let alone out side of school. IF the administration is made aware of cyber bullying they can report it to the authorities (it's only a school issue if school equipment was used) but it's not the school's responsibility to play big brother and watch what kids post day and night.
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