Cyberbullying and the Law

Hannah Orr

Hannah Orr

What is “Cyber bullying”?

“"Cyber bullying" is when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones. It has to have a minor on both sides, or at least have been instigated by a minor against another minor. Once adults become involved, it is plain and simple cyber-harassment or cyberstalking. Adult cyber-harassment or cyberstalking is NEVER called cyber bullying.” From www.stopcyberbullying.org

Cyberbullying Fact Sheet

It has proven to be difficult to create cyberbullying laws because there is not a “clear legal consensus about how to deal with many types of cyberbullying incidents.”

Many states do have bullying laws, but not all have added a cyberbullying section.

The issue is where do cyberbullying acts cross the line and when should the government get involved.

Many think that there should not be any cyberbullying laws because it is considered free speech.

Cyberbullying Report Card

A++ - DE, FL, GA, KY, MA, MD, NH, NJ, VA, WY

A+ - OR, RI, WA, WV A – AK, IL, OH, OK A- - AR, IA, ID, ME, MO, SC, TN, UT, VT B+ - AL, IN, NC, NM, NV, NY, PA, WI B – CA, CO, KS B- - AZ, CT C+ - NE C – LA, MS C- - MN, TX F – HI, MI, MT, ND, SD

Years that States Passed Laws

1999 . 

GA

2000 . 

NH

2001 . 

CO LA MS OR WV

2002 . 

CT  NJ OK WA

2003 . 

AR CA RI

2004 . 

VT

2005. 

AZ IN MD VA TX TN ME NV

2006 . 

ID SC AK NM

2007. 

DE IA IL KS MN OHPA

2008 . 

NE KY UT FL

2009 . 

NC WY AL

2010 . 

MA WI NY MO

Anti Bullying Law Passage Calendar

The Law

Each state has their own laws on cyberbullying Some states do not

have any laws regarding cyberbullying!▪ Michigan▪ Hawaii▪ Montana▪ North Dakota▪ South Dakota

Cyberbullying and the School

Should the school districts be responsible for cyberbullying that goes on off of the campus? J.S. v. Bethlehem

Area School District (2000)

North Carolina Law in the School

Senate Bill 526 Article 29 B“School Violence

Prevention”115 C -407.5 Bullying

and harassing behavior

115 C -407.6 Policy against bullying or harassing behavior

115 C -407.8 Prevention of school violence

Defines bullying or harassing behavior

“Requires all local school administrative units to adopt a policy prohibiting bullying and harassing behavior.”

“Each local school administrative unit shall adopt a policy prohibiting bullying or harassing behavior .”

North Carolina Law

House Bill 1261“An act protecting

children of this state by making cyber-bullying a criminal offense punishable as a misdemeanor.”

14 -458.1 Cyber-bullying; penalty

Defines what you can not do while using a computer or computer network

Penalty: If older than 18 when

committed: Class 1 misdemeanor

If younger than 18 when committed: Class 2 misdemeanor

Kentucky Law

HB 91 – The Golden Rule Act

Section 1 – A New Section of KS Chapter 158

Section 2 – KRS 158.444 is amended

Section 3 – KRS 158.148 is amended

Section 5 – KRS 525.080 is amended

Very detailed law describing bullying as well as an amendment for cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is a Class B misdemeanor

The Federal Law

There is no Federal Law for Cyberbullying at the moment. But the “Megan

Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act” has been proposed.

This law would allow those who are cyberbullies to be fined and/or “imprisoned not more than two years.”

Sources

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.1966:

http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/what_is_cyberbullying_exactly.html

http://www.cyberbullying.us/Bullying_and_Cyberbullying_Laws.pdf

http://www.cyberbullying.us/cyberbullying_legal_issues.pdf

http://bullypolice.org/ http://bullypolice.org/ky_law.html http://www.ncga.state.nc.US/Sessions/2009/

Bills/House/PDF/H1261v3.pdf http://www.bullypolice.org/NC-law2009.pdf

Picture Sources

http://blog.safetyweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Cyber-bullying.jpg

http://gymnasticscoaching.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Report-Card.jpg

http://bullyingpictures.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/cyber-bullying-law-in-US.jpg

http://kiwicommons.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/bullying-cyber-bullying-bullies-bullied.jpg

http://apostille.us/services/Image/north_carolina_seal_1.gif

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/flags/usa/kyseal.gif

http://a3.twimg.com/profile_images/121301631/800px-USA_Flag_Map.svg_normal.png