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Mike Donlin, Senior Program Consultant (aka Program Manager), for Seattle Public Schools (and our good friend and esteemed colleague) recently asked us a few thought-provoking questions about cyberbullying prevention and response.  They are as follows:
1. How can we consistently involve all the major stakeholders – educators, legal, the tech industry, families and youth – in sustained conversations around these critical issues?
2. Assuming that the digital immigrants all begin to get it with all the current technologies, what’s going to be the next big thing we will have to be on the lookout for, cyber-danger-wise?
3. We (Seattle Public Schools) are implementing a full cyberbullying curriculum, starting with the middle school/junior high grades. What do you see as something we absolutely should not overlook in our materials?

We thought we’d take the opportunity here to discuss these issues.  School districts should contact relevant private sector companies who may want to demonstrate that they care about the community, and have them fund/sponsor events that the school district can organize which brings together the multiple stakeholders.  Local foundations also can help – this has been successful in my school district.  Parents’ nights can be sponsored, and speakers can be brought in to administer assemblies to youth (even in elementary school).  We have found these efforts bear much fruit, and are prompting youth to go to parents and other youth-serving adults more readily with their cyberbullying problems.  These events should happen annually at worst and biannually at best – there are many issues to cover and so material needn’t be repeated.  The next big thing cyber-danger-wise in my opinion isn’t harassment on Second Life and IMVU and other 3-D virtual realms, but cyberbullying among pre-teens and even children on the new social networking sites that cater to them (e.g., Club Penguin) – even if they are somewhat “locked-down” and supervised web-based environments.  Even if certain curse words or hateful words are filtered, youth can still ostracize (through silence and passive-aggressive methods) others in these venues…and can still reveal personal information that may get them into trouble….  I should also say that we may see more picture- and video-based forms of cyberbullying, which will likely include more sexually-explicit images of teens.  Finally, cyberbullying curriculums would be remiss if they fail to include the cultivation of empathy and self-esteem among youth.  Honestly, if our kids were more naturally inclined towards the golden rule, and had internal and external buffers that provided a protective bubble from hurtful words or actions of peers, this wouldn’t be the problem that it is.

CNN posted an interesting story about teachers setting up MySpace pages and “friending” their students…and about a Missouri legislator sponsoring a bill banning elementary school teachers from doing so.  I was talking to Justin about this, and we both agree that a state bill banning this activity is completely overboard (another example of how politicians feed into the existing moral panic about these sites).  We also both agree that school districts should have their own policies about whether teachers and students can interact through social networking sites.  My personal opinion is that the vast majority of teachers and students would use the tool for beneficial and productive purposes, but that there is a slippery slope effect that would take place.  It is way too easy to move from talking about school assignments to asking more “personal” (though innocent) questions to sharing private worldviews and engaging in candid self-disclosure with another person online.  Anonymity and geographical distance while online, coupled with feelings of loneliness and the desire to connect with someone (anyone) when individuals interact through computer-mediated communication, make inappropriate messages between teachers and students a very real possibility.  I feel pretty strongly about this based on communications research done in the evolution of romantic relationships on the Internet.  Yes, I am aware of age and maturity differences between teachers and students.  Yes, I am aware that some might think I’m being a bit overprotective and old-school.  I just believe that the standard way of communication between elementary and secondary school teachers and students is perfectly fine and may not need enhancing.  Students need to learn to talk with competence and eloquence in-person with adults, rather than having the crutch of typing things out all the time.  This comes with opportunity and practice.  With post-secondary instructors and students – the potential for problems still exist, but I am much more fine with using social networking sites to connect with each other for the purposes of education and learning.  This topic is super fascinating and I would love to hear more thoughts.  Clearly I could go on, but I will leave it for now at that.

I just got back from the Jostens Renaissance National Conference. WOW. The energy at this conference was electric. Over 1,100 educators and superstar students from around the country met up in Phoenix to discuss various issues relating to teaching, learning, culture, and motivation (just to name a few). I covered a basic overview of cyberbullying and other issues related to adolescent use of technology in a couple of breakout sessions. In addition to the learning that was taking place, there was also a heavy dose of fun. These folks were a riot to hang out with. It is really inspiring to be around people who are passionate about their jobs. Kudos to Jostens for putting on such an amazing event.

There is an interesting article in this week’s Chronicle of Higher Education in which legal expert Robert M. O’Neil discusses many of the legal challenges facing those who wish to “stand up to cyberbullies.” In the article, O’Neil presents just some of the issues confronting the legal community in responding to cyberbullies. The questions are often so contentious that legal experts themselves cannot agree. Courts have been grappling with free speech issues relating to the Internet for over a decade, but it still seems there is very little clarity. No wonder victims of cyberbullying (and the teachers, parents, and others dedicated to helping them) struggle to know what to do.

In our presentations to teachers and parents, we are forced to update the information regarding legal issues almost continuously as new decisions are filed and new conclusions are reached. The most general advice we give is: Cyberbullies must be punished, but it is important to use the least restrictive punishment available to get the message across. Expelling a student for sending an email to another student calling him or her “fat” is excessive. That said, even the most trivial of cyberbullying behaviors CANNOT be ignored. Take informal action (contact parents, convene a meeting with a principal, etc.) and you will be sure to remain on firm legal footing. When in doubt about any of these issues, consult with a lawyer. Until more cyberbullying cases reach the higher courts, we will have to take actions that seem reasonable and hope for the best…

According to this article, the Manatee County School Board is allowing educators and administrators to look through the contents of students’ phones in order to find incriminating text, photo, and video content. First, IANAL and so please keep that in mind. Second, even if this occurs on school grounds, I don’t think it justifies allowing teachers to do this under the pretense of “suspicion,” even if it is “reasonable suspicion.” Third, maybe if reasonable suspicion of a crime existed, it might be more palatable. Fourth, the parents will have a field day with this. Fifth, such an invasion should only be possible by school law enforcement and possibly the principal, and not just any teacher. Sixth, most state wiretap laws (such as Florida’s) would simply not allow the interception or disclosure of electronic communications (such as a text message between two students). Anyone who “intentionally intercepts” any “electronic communication” has committed a criminal act. Many state wiretapping laws also prohibit unlawful access to stored communications (and I presume a picture or video taken by a cell phone would fall under this). A violation would then open up the school district to a civil cause of action by the student (or his/her family). So, in sum, I don’t think this will fly. It would be best if students, without the threat of educators confiscating and rifling through the contents of their phone, would simply not use it in inappropriate ways. Maybe one day….