Stephanie Lovett-Bowman, Thursday, November 11, 2010 | Filed under: First Amendment, Bullying
Recent research confirms what school administrators and teachers already know: student-on-student bullying is now more likely to happen online than in person.
A
University of Minnesota child psychologist’s
research indicates that while about 14 percent of adolescents report they have received face-to-face bullying, 48 percent say they have been subjected to bullying via virtual messaging.
Cyberbullying – which can occur on social networking websites, cell phones, e-mail, and other electronic media – presents new challenges for school administrators who wish to impose discipline for conduct that occurs on electronic media, often away from school property.
The legal landscape is not yet clearly defined in this area, where disciplined students often claim a First Amendment defense.