Bullying: It exists in every school, torment-

ing children of various ages for as long as

schools have existed. In every school,

victims have sought refuge, whether through

a small group of friends, a teacher’s office,

or just a “secret place” that only the victim

himself/herself knows. In a number of cases,

students have had no safe place to go in

school. Whereas students could avoid their

predators by venturing into their homes and

those of friends, today’s children live in

society where the click of a mouse or the

press of a button can keep victims in danger.

The rise of technology in the late 20th centu-

ry, but especially the 21st century, has added

a new element to bullying, a dangerous

component that has made bullying effects

even more severe, by allowing students,

particularly bullies, to harass their victims

long after the final bell, using a variety of

mediums, most notably cell phones and

social media, which has led to an increased

fight to end both bullying and cyberbullying

through legal action. The courts have also

agreed to hear more lawsuits alleging that

educators have ignored bullying, which has

led to more schools buckling down on bully

reporting policies and led legislators to

expand state criminal definitions of bullying

while maintaining the right to free speech,

both verbally and through cyberbullying.

Students no longer safe from Bullying outside of School

Scary Statistics and the State of Cyberbullying

Alarming statistics exist about cyberbullying

and the current state of state bullying laws.

Almost a third of students said they were

victims of “potentially menacing” online

actions, at least according to the Pew Internet

and American Life Research Project. Even

worse, the many teens on the social networks

face greater risks. “39% of social network

users have been cyberbullied in some way,

compared with 22% of online teens who do

not use social networks” (Pew Internet and

American Life Research Project). Even more

troublesome for teachers, the same survey

said that only ten percent of respondents who

admitted being victims of cyberbullying to

the survey told their parents and/or teachers,

showing that adults need to inform students

of the positives of reporting cyberbullying.

Seton Hall University Newspapers Presents:

April 8, 2013 Volume 1, Issue 1

The Hughes News

Special points of

interest:

How do we recog-

nize Cyberbullying?

Free Speech v. Hurt-

ing Society

Awareness, Aware-

ness, Awareness

Private Schools v.

Public Schools

Inside this issue:

Social Media Giant and a Silent Killer

2

The Courts’ Defense

of Free Speech

2

Private School reac-

tions to bullying

2

Ramifications of

Cyberbullying

3

Internet not sole

Cyberbullying method

3

Amendments to laws

including bullying

3

Hope for the Future 4

In the 21st century, this child’s

bullies can make him miserable

both in school, via cell phone, and

the internet.

Facebook: like most things in life, can

either help or hurt individuals, depending

on the person. Bullies have realized that

Facebook is a great form of mass commu-

nication to terrorize students, both public-

ly and through instant messaging. The

addition of other entertainment methods,

such as the popular Facebook meme,

where a person picks a picture (sometimes

something he/she owns) and puts a cap-

tion on the image. With one picture, a four

line caption (at most), and a click of the

“submit” button, a bully can terrorize a

victim, sometimes without the student’s

knowledge. Students can create fake

accounts for victims without their

knowledge, posing as the victim. They

can than make comments to other people

posing as the victim and/or harm the

victim by posting crude pictures. The

dangerous aspect, both for the bully, but

especially the victim, is that once some-

thing is not on the internet, it never fully goes

away, despite the best efforts of cyber police.

Any image can be mass produced, and

“shared” on another person’s Facebook page,

making the image visible to even more individ-

uals and more damaging to the victim. Unfor-

tunately, the victim may not find out about the

incident until after the incident has spread, as

victims generally avoid friending their bullies,

for fear of being subjected to even more har-

assment.

a web page or blog in which the creator

assumes the identity of another person or

knowingly impersonates another person as

author of posted content or messages, if

the creation or impersonation creates any

of the conditions enumerated in the defini-

tion of Bullying” (pg. 2.) Disciplinary

a bully upon determination that bullying

(of any kind) did occur. The Archdiocese

policy has a specific designation and

definition for cyberbullying.

According to The Archdiocese of Boston

Bullying Prevention Policy: “Cyber-

Bullying shall also include the creation of

action can be taken regardless of whether

or not the incident occurred on-campus,

unlike in Public Schools, where many

courts have said that on campus incidents

are the only situations within a school

district’s jurisdiction .

Facebook: A Silent Killer

Private Schools have tackled bullying by broadening its definition

Courts have defended free speech

rights to unfettered internet expression and

reversed school disciplinary actions, some-

times even ordering districts to pay monetary

damages or attorneys’ fees to the students

and their families” (pg. 55). The courts have

given people the right to free speech, but

have given police and school officials lee-

way by encouraging the groups to look for

behavior exhibited by bullies that might fall

under the categories of harassment or

stalking. If a bully intimidates a victim by

consistently following the person home

from school, all the while taunting the

individual, state and local judges have

gone so far as to name situations (such as

the above) where they would uphold

charges like stalking while not limiting the

bully’s right to freedom of speech.

What exactly are the ramifications for

poor student internet conduct, e.g. cyber-

bullying? A chasm of difference exists

between public schools’ responses and

those of private schools. According to the

previously cited Bullying and harassment:

A legal guide for educators, by Kathleen

Conn, “The courts have often upheld

[public school] students’ constitutional

Page 2

The Hughes News

Bullies use almost anything to

bully victims. Despite Face-

book’s best efforts, the social

media website has become a

large forum to publicly torture

students

“The courts have often

upheld [public school]

students’

constitutional rights to

unfettered internet

expression.”

Private schools, however, by virtue that they

do not have to accept all students, nor retain

misbehaving students, have much more leeway

in how they handle cyberbullying. The Archdi-

ocese of Boston, Massachusetts, has estab-

lished an Archdiocese-wide policy that allows

for disciplinary and/or or legal action against

The rise of the “Digital Age” has granted

bullies more access to their victims

through various mediums such as social

networking and cell phones. With the rise

of technology, however, awareness has

heightened concerning the dangers of

bullying, which has led to more protection

for victims, both in the school and in the

community. As schools increase sanctions

for schoolyard bullying, and as legisla-

tures expand criminal definitions of har-

assment, opportunities for bullies have

decreased while the consequences have

increased. This trend will likely continue

into the future, as more forms of technolo-

gy become available, creating even more

(sometimes uncharted) ways for bullies to

torment prey. Schools (particularly middle

and high schools) now issue technology

to students on the basis that administra-

tors may check the technology for evi-

dence of any inappropriate chats between

students, as well as any inappropriate

videos, recordings, or images of students

that may constitute bullying. This has

discouraged bullying and made students

more aware of their actions in schools and

at home.

domestic abuse cases. Legislators have

made these changes as part of a concerted

effort that has combatted bullying in

schools. If not for cyberbullying, however,

these laws would not have the far-

reaching effects that they have. Incidents

of bullying no longer need to occur in

Legislators have now taken legal action to

better protect bullying victims. These

amendments are relatively new to the New

Jersey legal code. In 2011, New Jersey

expanded regulations to protect students,

as legislators developed the initial law to

protect people primarily involved in

schools for disciplinary action. Parents

can instead go directly to law enforce-

ment. These laws now hold bullies ac-

countable for their actions, eliminating

many attempts to escape responsibility for

harming (psychologically or physically)

other students.

Rise of Technology = Greater Awareness

Legal Issues

Internet is not the sole tool

pressing the star followed by the number

67 so that a person can prevent the recipi-

ent from knowing the original number.

Bullies often use this direct form of har-

assment because they believe it falls under

the same category as cyberbullying,

meaning that the student is simply utiliz-

ing free speech. Bullies often use con-

stant, repeated texting, whether it is the

transmission of images or love notes, to

fill their victim’s inbox in a matter of

seconds/minutes, preventing the victim

from using the phone the way he/she

intends to use it.

Another dangerous aspect of cyberbully-

ing is that it does not have to occur via the

internet, as cell phones have become easy

ways for bullies to harass victims. Cell

phones provide both direct and indirect

ways for bullies to harass their victims via

both text and/or phone calls. Phone calls

may provide some voice recognition, but

many companies now offer services by

Page 3

Volume 1, Issue 1

Cyberbullying has also pro-

duced more awareness

campaigns like the “Stop

Bullying Now” poster

(above)

NJ Legislators have

tightened regulations

on bullying

“Cell phones provide

both direct and

indirect ways for

bullies to harass their

victims via both text

and/or phone calls.”

John P. Hughes

105 Pine Street

Boonton, NJ 07005

Phone: (973) 934-5566

Email: john.hughes1@student.shu.edu

For more information, see the below sources in this newsletter’s Works Cited.

Works Cited:

Boston, T. A. (2010, October 20). The Archdiocese of Boston Bullying Prevention Policy. Retrieved from Catholic Schools, Archdio-

cese of Boston, Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.abcso.org/documents/BullyingPreventionPolicy.pdf

Conn, K. (2004). Bullying and harassment: A Legal Guide for Educators. Alexandria: Association for Supervision & Curriculum

Development.

Fields, E. (2007). Bully Blocking: Six Decrets to Help Children Deal with Teasing and Bullying. Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley.

"Policies & Laws." Policies & Laws. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d. Web. 01 April 2013. <http://

www.stopbullying.gov/laws/index.html>. Facebook Logo Image. Digital image. Logo Studio. N.p., July 2011. Web. 01 Apr. 2013.

NJ State House Image. Digital image. Health Reform Watch. Http://www.healthreformwatch.com/2010/01/11/new-jersey-legislature-

passes-medical-marijuana-bill/, 11 Jan. 2010. Web. 01 Apr. 2013.

Waiters, Tony. Sad Bullied Child. Digital image. World of Soccer. N.p., 02 Nov. 2012. Web. 01 Apr. 2013.

Stop Bullying. Digital image. Dontfeedthebully.com. N.p., Nov. 2012. Web. 03 Apr. 2013.

Stop Bullying Ribbon. Digital image. Myknowledgecenter.com. N.p., 26 Sept. 2012. Web. 02 Apr. 2013.

Seton Hall University Presents: Cyberbullying Awareness

People can no longer say that they do not know the effects of bullying, nor can they declare that the

behavior can be sometimes criminal. Statistics indicate that more work must be done to make sure

students feel safe in school, provided that they do not bully other students. Publications like this now

warn about the dangers of bullying, which individuals can access on both print and mobile mediums.

Schools and Legislators have updated policies that respect student’s first amendment rights but give

victims leeway for reporting. Parents now know that their children may behave properly in front of

others, but may have many struggles (either as a bully or victim) through electronic methods such as

the internet or cell phones. Teachers now receive training to help them ascertain whether or not a seem-

ingly menial bullying incident in school may actually be part of a far greater, expansive situation be-

tween two students. These investigations can help understand a cyberbully’s mentality, as well as draw

better statistical information of a bully’s history. Overall, just as the world has seen rapid technologicsl

advancess, parental, education, and legal communities have quickly modified laws to better protect

bullying victims of the future.

Hope for the Future

Seton Hall University Newspapers:

Here to Serve Teachers and Protect Students

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access my newsletter online!

The “Stop Bullying” ribbon has become

ubiquitous in many communities as a a

sign of hope that both cyberbullying and

bullying will be eradicated from schools.