What Does the Law Say?

As the discussion has progressed thus far, the fact is clear that cyber bullying is an extremely harmful act to be a victim of. But, what about on the other side? In my personal experience, I have discovered that students are blatantly unaware of the legality and repercussions that can occur from being a cyber bully.

Via www.stopbullying.gov, many states have laws or policies that govern bullying. Maryland is one of many states that has both laws and policies. A Criminal Law (Section 7-805) currently exists in Maryland that is titled "Misuse of electronic communication or interactive computer service". Within this annotated law, it is stated that a person may not maliciously engage in a course of conduct (via electronics), with the intent to harass one another. Other statements appear within this law, that states electronics may not be used to cause serious emotional distress in a minor. Though "cyber bullying" is not directly stated within this law, many acts of cyber bullying can certainly classify.

Most notably, within this same law, a person who is found guilty of violating this law will be found guilty of a misdemeanor, and may even experience imprisonment and a fine. Also, acts of cyber bullying are still punishable whether they are committed on school grounds or outside of school. When having this discussion with my current students, they were shocked to discover that they could be found guilty of cyber bullying when the act is performed outside of the classroom. Clearly, some students are not aware of how serious of an act cyber bullying is, and can be viewed in the eye of the law.

So where can we go from here? In looking at the number of people who are victims of cyber bullying, and the serious emotional harm and distress that cyber bullying can cause, we have a very big issue on our hands. As teachers, we can start by educating ourselves. We must be aware of the signs that exist when a student is being harassed online. We must also be ready to listen, offer suggestions, and be ready to help.

For students, they must become more educated. By knowing about the statistics related to cyber bullying, along with the legality behind this act, we can hope that knowledge may become power. As parents, we must also be ready to educate our children to ensure that these acts cease to exist.

Have you ever had the discussion of cyber bullying with your children or students? Please leave any comments below. To conclude, take a look at this video, which details a law that was proposed in Brooklyn to combat cyber bullying.