Caveat: I send this not to endorse a particular view or solution but to share with you how important it is for educators to let students know that our system will consider taking action for cyberbullying if circumstances warrant doing so.
OPPOSING
VIEW: Criminal charges don't deter bullies
Last
week, the sheriff in Polk County, Fla., filed felony charges against the girls,
14 and 12, who allegedly taunted Rebecca. On social media, one called her ugly
and told her to drink bleach and die.
The
sheriff took some flak for criminalizing behavior that is as old as
schoolyards, but changing times call for changing tactics.
Today's
cyberbullying is more extreme than the bullying anyone over 30 remembers.
Before such abuse went digital, victims at least had escape routes — at home,
in an activity, or when they changed schools.
Now,
every Facebook post or cellphone ping can carry taunts. Rebecca's ordeal went
on for months. She was home-schooled for a time, then transferred to another
school. The bullies followed on her smartphone.
While
bullies of previous generations had limited audiences, digital humiliation gets
vast exposure. It can't be erased, and it can be harnessed in ways bullies of
another era never imagined.
In
2010, Rutgers freshman Dharun Ravi used a webcam to spy on his roommate, Tyler
Clementi, in a tryst with another gay man. Ravi streamed it to a room where a half-dozen students watched.
Three days later, Clementi jumped off the George Washington Bridge. Last year,
Ravi was convicted for invasion of privacy, bias intimidation and other
charges.
Nearly
one in four students say they have been victims of
cyberbullying at some point. Thankfully, only a handful of cases
have ended with suicide, and few rise to the level of criminality. But for
those that do, prosecution is appropriate.
Parents
remain the first line of defense against cyberbullying. Too many, however,
ignore their children's online behavior, deny that their kids could be bullies,
or are themselves models for this harmful behavior. The stepmother of the
14-year-old charged with bullying Rebecca was charged last week with child abuse over
allegations that she punched two boys visiting her home.
Schools
also retain a major role. Every state but Montana has an anti-bullying law
or policy, but more than half fail to address cyberbullying. New Hampshire has one of the best: It covers
bullying anywhere as long as it "interferes with a pupil's educational
opportunities."
Students
themselves can have the biggest impact with a largely untapped approach: using
the bullies' digital tools to shame them and defend their victims. In
Hillsborough, Calif., freshman goalie Daniel Cui was bullied on Facebook in
2011 after allowing the winning goal in a major soccer game. His teammates rallied behind him, posting a photo
of Cui making a huge save in another game.
Fighting
back against bullies and denying them peer approval are the best antidotes. But
when the standard remedies fail someone like Rebecca Sedwick, the use of
criminal laws against stalking and harassment is fully justified.
USA TODAY's editorial opinions are decided by its Editorial Board, separate
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