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.
