Alex

Alex Naramore 8th period 2/18/09 What is Cyberbullying?  Cyber bullying is harassing, bullying, threatening, or making fun of someone by taking advantage of the internet. Cyber Bullying is when someone uses any form of technology to pick on or make fun of someone to the person's face or to someone else.   Cyber bullying is using technology to threaten, insult, or harass someone else by using text messages, emails, ect. Cyber bullying is sending or posting harmful or cruel text or images using the internet or other digital communication devices.

Laws/regulations regarding cyber bullying 2006 saw Idaho lawmakers pass a law that allowed school officials to suspend students if they bullied or harassed other students using a telephone or computer.  In 2007, the Arkansas legislation passed a law allowing school officials to take action against cyber bullies even if the bullying did not originate or take place on school property. The law gave school administrators much more freedom to punish those individuals who sought to harass their fellow students. Iowa has passed several laws that force schools to create anti-cyber bullying policies which cover bullying “in schools, on school property or at any school function or school-sponsored activity.” The Garden State of New Jersey has always maintained tough laws about bullying, but it wasn’t until 2007 that the laws were amended to include bullying via “electronic communication.” These laws give additional power to the school system to enforce bullying-related punishment for actions that may not take place while on school grounds. The progressive state of Oregon really delves into the details of cyber bullying. The laws passed in recent years in Oregon expand the boundaries of what constitutes cyber bullying to include those actions which “substantially interfere” with the education of the young person. The suicide of a 13-year old girl __Megan Meier __ who was the victim of an internet hoax greatly raised the awareness of cyber bullying and its consequences in the state of Missouri. Governor Matt Blunt went so far as to create a task force whose sole purpose was to study and create laws regarding cyber bullying. As a result the Internet Harassment Task Force now stands as a shining example for other states around the country. Missouri has also toughened their laws on the matter, upgrading cyber-harassment from a misdemeanor to a Class D felony. New York created a system to investigate claims of cyber bullying that would help police and school officials better ascertain the circumstances of each occurrence and prosecute or punish the culprits to the fullest extent of the law. The governor of Rhode Island is currently trying to pass a bill that would force repeat cyber bullying offenders to appear in family court, where they would be charged as delinquents under the terms of the state’s laws for young offenders. Vermont has added a $500 fine for cyber bullying offenses to their already stringent laws on the matter. There is currently a bill being discussed that would increase the reach of the school’s powers regarding cyber bullying when the action puts the individual’s ability to learn (or health and safety) at risk.
 * Idaho **
 * Arkansas **
 * Iowa **<span style="font-size: 8.5pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">
 * <span style="font-size: 8.5pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">New Jersey **<span style="font-size: 8.5pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">
 * <span style="font-size: 8.5pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Oregon **
 * <span style="font-size: 8.5pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Missouri **<span style="font-size: 8.5pt; color: black; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">
 * <span style="font-size: 8.5pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">New York **<span style="font-size: 8.5pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">
 * <span style="font-size: 8.5pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Rhode Island **<span style="font-size: 8.5pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">
 * <span style="font-size: 8.5pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Vermont **<span style="font-size: 8.5pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">

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