I was talking to a colleague recently, and we were bemoaning the fact that all of these legislative actions (laws, prosecutions, suspensions of driver’s licenses) are only addressing the symptoms of cyberbullying and not its cause(s).  Moreover, Justin and I have been hearing from a variety of information technology companies working on software to combat cyberbullying with a symptomatic response.  This is all fine and well - there is a need for these laws and mandates and policies and technological solutions.  However, they do not make any headway in clarifying the underlying issues that have contributed to adolescent peer aggression over the last few decades (or since the beginning of time - whichever time frame you’d like to use!).  So exactly what should we be doing with our time and efforts - as the major plan of action to which everything else is supplementary?  Promoting education and awareness (among children, teenagers, parents, teachers, administrators, counselors, school nurses, law enforcement, and the general community).  And then formal evaluation to determine the measurable benefits of those specific education and awareness strategies.  And then refinement of those strategies, followed by re-implementation.  This has worked in the area of traditional bullying, and with traditional forms of delinquency among school-aged youth.  There is increasing anecdotal evidence that it will also work when dealing with cyberbullying.  We believe that our research will demonstrate a similar effectiveness as we continue to study this phenomenon over the next few years.

Perhaps you saw this article detailing how a school district in Oregon is proposing to work with the state’s Department of Transportation to suspend the driver’s license of a student who has been suspended or expelled at least twice for harassing, intimidating, or mistreating another student or employee using electronic means. Again, it is great to see that strategies for response are being increasingly proposed, but I question this policy’s effectiveness. First off, cyberbullying occurs frequently among middle-schoolers and those who still yet can’t drive - so the deterrent reach of this policy is narrow. Second, if perpetrators are no longer allowed to legally drive - what will they be doing with their time? They will be likely be online more, since they have no mobility. They will likely also be mad at the world (to some degree) since they have no mobility. They might also be even more upset or mad with their victim(s) for contributing to the crappy situation in which they find themselves. These negative emotions towards the victim might lead to more bullying or cyberbullying.

I will say that the bill they passed last year (HB2637) requiring school districts to ban and formally respond to cyberbullying - is well-conceived.

I am not sure if you all saw this, but another youth has hung himself after being cyberbullied on Bebo - which is very popular in the U.K. Apparently, one of the threats the 13-year-old boy received through that social networking site read “If you don’t kill yourself then we will do it for you.” It is so unfortunate how this is occurring with increasing frequency. And some adults say to us - what is wrong with these kids that they are so troubled by online harassment - can’t they just deal with it? Can’t they just ignore it and not let it bother them? The answer is a resounding “no.” Adolescents struggle mightily with issues of self-esteem, self-doubt, and self-identity as they try to figure out who they are. And they are hypersensitive to the thoughts and opinions of their peer group. Hopefully you remember feeling the same way when you were growing up. While cyberbullicide is definitely an exception and not the norm, it appears to me as a solution that some youth would definitely consider, based on our research. In our most recent study, we found that victims of cyberbullying were significantly more likely to have serious thoughts of suicide than those who had not been victimized. Clearly, this is cause for concern.

We are happy to report that our cyberbullying book is now expected to be in print on August 5th, 2008. We are very excited to have the book in our hands (and perhaps even more excited to have it in YOUR hands!). It represents the culmination of over five years of research and we worked very hard to make sure the book was comprehensive and easy to read. I will be doing a couple of presentations at the White Earth Communities Collaborative Brain Development Conference in Mahnomen, MN on August 13th and 14th and will have copies of the book available for purchase and signing. More info about this conference can be found here. We’ll post more details about the book as the release date approaches.

Florida’s Governor Charlie Crist has just signed into law the “Jeffrey Johnston Stand Up for All Students Act.” This is due mostly to the efforts of our friend Debbie Johnston from Cape Coral, Florida, a first-grade schoolteacher whose son Jeffrey took his life after being bullied and cyberbullied.

This law:

- requires districts to adopt policy prohibiting bullying & harassment, and to specify procedures for reporting, investigating, notifying, referring, and collecting data on incidents

- provides a measure of immunity for school districts in their investigation and response

- provides restrictions with respect to defense of action & application of provisions (which basically means that victims who defend themselves by fighting back won’t also be punished)

-makes DOE Safe Schools Funds conditional on compliance (which means that these anti-bullying and anti-cyberbullying policies must be in place in order for the school district to keep receiving federal funds)

The law also states: “The physical location or time of access of a computer-related incident cannot be raised as a defense in any disciplinary action initiated under this section.” IANAL, but from my understanding this means that a perpetrator cannot point to the fact that the bullying took place via an electronic device as a justification to temper or qualify the severity of the behavior.

Congratulations, Debbie. We share your joy with this outcome.

This story, which involves a digitally-recorded video of three teens throwing a 32-ounce soda on a girl working the window at a Taco Bell drive-thru, is a newer iteration of cyberbullying which we’re seeing more often. The boys posted the video on YouTube, which led to repeated embarrassment and humiliation for the girl. She was bold and savvy enough to discover the identity of the boys and report them to law enforcement - which deserves commendation. I only wish that the punishment handed down by the judge was better conceived. I think that shaming in general can be highly-effective when dealing with real-world wrongdoing simply because we care a great deal about our social standing and the way that we’re perceived by others. I just don’t know if shaming is an effective sanction when dealing with online harassment because the culture as a whole hasn’t collectively shunned and denounced the act (like the real-world offenses of child abuse and rape have been denounced). There is not really any negative stigma associated with cyberbullying in our society, and so shaming is not the best punitive option.

For those of you who haven’t heard yet, a federal law has been proposed that defines “cyberbullying” and specifies penalties (in the form of fines and up to two years imprisonment) for violators. The bill is formally called the Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act (HR 6123), and was introduced jointly by Representatives from Missouri and California. We support the creation of well-informed and thought-out laws that are part of a comprehensive plan to address cyberbullying, and we applaud the fact that politicians are increasingly recognizing and formally responding to the problem of online aggression. However, this specific law is just not going to work. The text of the bill reads:

Whoever transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication, with the intent to coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to a person, using electronic means to support severe, repeated, and hostile behavior, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both. (§ 881)

The bill’s wording seems too broad, and its overbreadth makes me believe that it would be found unconstitutional. IANAL, but intent to cause “substantial emotional distress” through “severe” and “hostile” electronic behaviors will be difficult to prove, especially when it is online. I think courts would (and do) have an easier time identifying and agreeing upon the same behavior when demonstrated offline, in the real world.

On a final note, I like the fact that “cyberbullying” is spelled as one word in the bill.

This case involving an eighth-grader from Riviera Beach, Florida vividly illustrates a theme that Justin and I continually see when speaking with elementary and middle school students across the nation. When we ask students “How many of you know someone else’s password?” we invariably find that at least half of the hands go up. And then we discuss how friendships tend to be fickle when a child is growing up, and your “best friend” could become your “worst enemy” overnight - due to some small misunderstanding or random reason. And so we ask, “What do you think your ex-best friend is going to do with your password?” Silence usually comes over the room as the lesson seemingly sinks in. We have got to continue to let kids know that they must protect their passwords at all costs, and not think that they are immune to victimization. This will not only reduce their vulnerability to cyberbullying, but also to identity theft and a host of other forms of online harm.

It was a great honor to speak at the National Press Club yesterday. A lot of interesting questions were asked…for example, what is the role of the school nurse in cyberbullying incidents, because they are a trusted figure in whom youth are confiding…how often does cyberbullying occur as a part of dating violence…is cyberbullying simply part of a general cultural trend of social aggression to be compartmentalized like road rage, or is it so much more…. Fascinating stuff. As promised - here is a picture of me with the most recognizable face in crime-fighting, McGruff!

June is Internet Safety Month. Parents should take this opportunity to have a brief talk with their kids about what they are doing online. Ask them about any unpleasant experiences they may have had. Tell them that you have heard about “cyberbullying” and wondered if they have had any such experiences. The earlier you have these discussions, the better. It’s not always easy, but it is crucial. You can start by asking your child to show you something new on the Internet/computer/cell phone. If you don’t have a social networking profile, and your child does, ask them to help you set one up. Then you can become “friends” with your child (both digitally, and in real life!) and see all that they have on their profile page. If you got a new cell phone, ask your child to show you how to use some of the features. These are great lead-ins for a more comprehensive discussion of online safety and responsibility.