A Parents’ Guide to Bullying/Cyberbullying y g y y g Karen Haase Harding & Shultz (402) 434-3000 khaase@hslegalfirm.com H & S School Law
This is not your y Grandma’s assemblyy
Bullying? any ongoing pattern of physical, verbal, or electronic abuse on school grounds, in a vehicle hi l owned, d leased, l d or contracted t t db by a school beingg used for a school p purpose p by a school employee or his or her designee or at school-sponsored designee, activities or school-sponsored athletic events.
Bullying? any ongoing pattern of physical, verbal, or electronic abuse on school grounds, in a vehicle hi l owned, d leased, l d or contracted t t db by a school beingg used for a school p purpose p by a school employee or his or her designee or at school-sponsored designee, activities or school-sponsored athletic events.
Simply stated, bullying: • •
• •
Is intimidating or subjecting a person to hostility or ill treatment Involves actions which cause another person to feel afraid, humiliated embarrassed, humiliated, embarrassed threatened or shamed Occurs in a relationship where there is an imbalance of power Is repeated over time
Is it bullying? Normal Conflict
Bullying
• Equal Power/friends • Happens episodically • Accidental • Equal emotional reaction • Remorse • Effort to solve problem
• Imbalance of power • Repeated pattern of behavior • Intentional • Unequal U l emotional ti l reaction • Blames Bl ttargett • No effort to solve • Seeking power
Cyberbullying? the use of technology such as computers and cell phones to engage in repeated, and dh hostile til b behavior h i b by an iindividual di id l or group, g p that is intended to harm others. The term ""cyberbullying" Th b b ll " is usedd when h the h victim or bully b ll is a child or teen. The term cyber harassment is used when the victim is an adult. adult
Common Cyberbullying Tactics Stealing someone someone’ss online name and using it to write nasty rumors, comment, or spread gossip. i Alteringg someone’s message g or doctoring photographs to say something different or make fun of a person.
Common Cyberbullying Tactics ďƒ˜Secretly recording conversations using a cell phone, then playing the recording i back for f the person being i discussed. ďƒ˜Posting damaging information on blogs or web sites sites. ďƒ˜Creating or taking part in Internet polling or list-making
Cyberbullying y y g Example of cyberbullying b b ll i on iChat (Apple’s instant messaging) i )
Divagirl: Hey, loser, watch your back. t t323 What tmt323: Wh t r u talking about? Divagirl: Why don't you kill yourself while u r ahead? tmt323: Why can't you just leave me alone? Divagirl: Ugly girls like u need to be put in their place.
How Common is Cyberbullying? ďƒ˜ one in four students between the g of 11 and 19 have been the ages victim of cyberbullying. ďƒ˜ Approximately A i t l 65 percentt off kids kid know of someone who has been cyberbullied.
Not Myy Kid! Told parents: 51% of preteens and 35% of teens Told T ld ffriend:44% i d 44% off preteens t and d 72% of teens Told no one: 16% of preteens and teens
So what’s what s the big deal?
School-Related Consequences Neb. Rev. Stat. 79-2,137 Definition: “ongoing ongoing pattern of physical, verbal or electronic abuse” Consequences: ─ Loss of extracurricular privileges ─ Detentions D t ti ─Short and Long Term Suspension ─Expulsion E li ─Alternative School Assignment
Examples p Seattle, WA.: Students who “liked” Facebook page bullying a classmate p all suspended Memphis TN: Honors student suspended for 180 days for commenting on a friend’s status
Warning Signs that your child may be b a ttarget: t Frequently socially isolated Less assertive/lacks social skills Appears weak or easily dominated Tries to stay close to adults in social situations Does not discuss friends or social activities that occurred at school
What to do: Talk to your child: • Need to empower the victim • Strategize and role play • Take actions on solvable issues
Contact the School • Set up a meeting • Collaborate to develop a plan
Investigate counseling options Contact Law Enforcement
Cyberbullying ďƒ˜ Do not erase the evidence ďƒ˜ Contact C t t your IInternet t t provider, id th the social networking site, or cell phone company and file a complaint
Do Not: Overreact Ignore the situation Confront bully or his/her parents Tell yyour child to fight g the bullyy
What about the bully?  Studies show that children identified as a bully by age 8 are six times more likely to be convicted of a crime by age 24  60% of kids characterized as bullies in the 6th-99th grade d h had d at lleast one criminal i i l conviction by age 24  Bullies are five times more likely to end up g 30 with a serious criminal record byy age
Warning Signs that your child may be a bully: Frequent name-calling i Regular bragging Needs to consistntly get own way Spends time with younger/less powerful kids Lack of empathy Frequent defiance or hostility
What to do: Talk to your child: • Do not condone behavior • Discuss motivations • Encourage empathy
Contact the School • Set up a meeting • Collaborate to develop a plan
Investigate counseling options
Criminal Consequences (State Law) Neb. Rev. Stat. 28-311.01 Terroristic Threats: “threatens to commit any crime of violence … • With the intent to terrorize another • In reckless disregard of the risk of causing such terror Class IV Felony punishable by: • Up to 5 years in prison and/or • $10,000 fine
In re Minor Child (Ala.) High school students arrested at school for threatening classmate on y p MySpace • Threatened to beat him up • Said they would plant a bomb in his locker • Said he deserved to die
Charged with making terroristic threats
State v. Murphy (NE) Girl’s family disliked defendant On O MySpace M S he h wrote: t • He was ggoingg to "beat the hell out of a lot of people" • He would be "killing killing a lot of people people.“ • Told girlfriend’s sister he didn’t “want to end d up killi killing her h or her h kid.” kid ”
Charged with making terroristic threats
A Parents’ Guide to Bullying/Cyberbullying y g y y g Karen Haase Harding & Shultz (402) 434-3000 khaase@hslegalfirm.com H & S School Law