Cyber Bullying is a Public Issue

The article entitled ‘As Bullies Go Digital, Parents Play Catch- Up’  brings to the surface issues of cyber bullying, and an important point; schools are virtually helpless when it comes to investigating or punishing for instances of cyber bullying.  I think it is an important point for parents and adolescents alike to realize.  What is being said online has no parameters in an institution of learning or even an institution of law for that matter. Parents and students bring concerns of cyber bullying to school administrators in hope that the authority that they have will help solve the problem at hand. However,  there are no specific policies stating what can and cannot be said online, despite what might be printed in a ‘terms and conditions’ clause. Furthermore, how aggressors online are to be punished within the court of law is not only ambiguous, but virtually non-existent. With this being said, how can one assess the problem of cyber bullying?  Local authorities may attempt to prosecute those who are found to be guilty of cyber bullying but how does one go about this if there is no mention of appropriate punishments within government legislature?

 I personally believe that the fact that these policies are absent from out government, needs to change and soon. With the world we live in today with technology constantly changing who we interact with, how we interact with them and when we interact with them, it only makes sense that the laws and policies are updated to match. With the proper legislation put into place there is a chance that due to the visible forms of punishment by law, incidences of cyber bullying will decrease. Unfortunately however, I do not the enactment of this legislature leading to the end of cyber bullying altogether.  Not only could policies deter others from deliberately committing the crime that is cyber bullying, but also may mean that people of all ages think twice before they post anything online that could be misconstrue as a form of cyber bullying.

Since such legislation does not exist, I believe the next best thing is to educate people of all ages about the dangers of cyber bullying and consequences that can occur as a result of these incidences. This type of education is being done in some school systems, as mentioned in the article. Parents of the victims of cyber bullying within the article found little solace in these educational classes however, because they felt overwhelmed by the level of technology that their children were accustomed to and were able to maneuver.  The level of education about social media sites where cyber bullying takes place is also part of the problem. The parents should not just learn about cyber bullying itself but the sites where it takes place and how, so that parents are able to detect instances of cyber bullying themselves, and intervene appropriately. Although cyber bullying cannot be stopped by these precautions alone, the prevention of these instances can make a large difference in the lives of those being victimized by cyber bullies.