Cyberbullying and Social Media: School Administrators Review On Legal And Ethical Issues by Daniel LaFave https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl EDG-6305-DS1 Research study into the legal and ethical issues that public school administrators face involving cyberbullying and social media in schools. en-us 2019-12-07 02:29:29 UTC 2023-02-13 13:36:03 UTC hello@padlet.com Slide #1 My Professional Perspective dlafave https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421120152 Upon completion of graduate school and a Texas Principal Certification program, my future goal is to work in my area of West Texas as a school administrator working alongside other administrators helping to use critical analysis and share methodologies for the formulation and implementation of good legal and ethical policies for the district, students, teaching staff, students, parents, and community. 

I am currently a Career and Technology teacher for Grape Creek ISD in Grape Creek, Texas.  Currently as a high school teacher, I am able to directly relate to the complicated conflicts that Texas school administrators face every day with identifying and enforcing legal and ethical issues within Texas public school systems.
This research and discussion is for other school administrators in similar positions to review, learn from, and offer feedback and additional guidance in the legal laws and ethical guidelines involving the identification and handling of cyberbullying issues online and through social media websites and applications involving students.  This involves both possible victims and aggressors involved with public school cyberbullying school cases. 

This topic was chosen for additional research to be done because cyberbullying is a very difficult topic for school administrators to handle which appears to be becoming more prevalent because of more and more online social platforms affecting the way students communicate.


[Image of Legal - Ethics] (n.d.).  Retrieved from
https://www.intheblack.com/articles/2015/04/01/why-ethics-and-law-are-not-the-same-thing

]]> 2019-12-07 02:52:04 UTC https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421120152 Slide #2 Conducting Professional Interview With A Texas High School Administrator To Discuss Cyberbullying Issues and Factors Directly dlafave https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421126133 To gain ethical and legal insight involving cyberbullying issues directly from a school administrator perspective, an interview was conducted with Matt Fore who is the Vice Principal for Grape Creek High School within the school district Grape Creek ISD located in the West Texas area where I currently work. 

Matt Fore shared his insights and advice on legal and ethical issues involving cyberbullying and social media impacting the school district and high school students directly for which his professional position directly contributes. 

Interviews, discussion, and further feedback from current Texas school administrators is conducive towards being able to better understand and take proactive instead of reactive actions towards addressing cyberbullying which is prevalent on social media online platforms.

The interview questions discussed with Matt Fore concerning social media and cyberbullying involved definition of cyberbullying, experience seeing and dealing with cyberbullying, effects seen on students affected by cyberbullying, signs of cyberbullying, steps for intervention of cyberbullying, and the handling of cyberbullying school issues both legally and ethically.

#1:  I define cyberbullying in a variety of ways depending on the type of imbalance of power that is being used.  I have found that much of the cyberbullying that teens participate in finds its way to school.  It often can end up in physical confrontation, loss of educational focus in the classroom, increased absenteeism due to fear and intimidation factors.  Kids have always had a difficult time dealing with bullying in the past, but now that cyberbullying has found its way to social media, kids are not mature enough or have the ability to know how to deal with and handle it.

#2:  Cyberbullying comes into effect when it begins to interrupt the daily actions of a student.  This may be in school attendance, focus in the classroom, or feeling safe when in the vicinity as the other student who may be the aggressor.

#3:  The effects of cyberbullying on the student victim involve reacting in a variety of ways  from depression and anxiety to becoming loud, obnoxious, and ready to fight.  Parents of these students are usually quick to let us know as well from what they observe.

#4:  As far as current social media platforms that students are currently using which may involve cyberbullying include Snapchat by which a majority of students are using.  Facebook is another possible social media platform that even parents will use to become involved and vent their frustration involving their child being affected.  The best way for parents to control cyberbullying on social media would be to effectively monitor their child's social media behavior and access to it.  School administrators also need good rapport with students and parents so they feel comfortable sharing things involving possible cyberbullying.  Mr. Fore points out that if properly informed that the school can intervene and advise on what procedures can be put into place.  He also advises that school administrators can then let students and parents know what is not school business and refer them to law enforcement agencies in the areas.  He also states that there are times when referred items are sent directly to law enforcement when it is appropriate per Child Protective Services (CPS) requirements.

#5:  The reactive steps for the severity levels involving cyberbullying on online social media platforms for students can be that class changes can be made, counseling is available, and for increased supervision.  There are times when intervention mediation takes place where both students (the victim and the aggressor/aggressors) are brought in to discuss the issue and create a resolution for the conflict situation.  The proactive measures would involve school administrators, counselors, teachers, students, and parents to be observant and to verbally discuss the issues instead of doing it via social media.  That many issues can be handled in person.  Mr. Fore points out that social media can be a great thing for communication, but can be an extremely detrimental tool if used incorrectly.

A lot was learned in perspective to discussing with a current school administrator on the immediate impacts that cyberbullying on social media has.

Lee Green states, "School and athletic administrators should familiarize themselves on their state's antibullying laws and also learn provisions explicitly addressing cyberbullying (2016).  Green goes on to state, "School personnel, when investigating allegations of off-campus cyberbullying, should focus on documenting all instances of disruption that have occurred on-campus, including those taking place in classrooms, hallways, cafeterias, athletics facilities, parking lots, or any other site on school property or at a school-sponsored event (2016).

(M. Fore, personal interview communication, December 3, 2019)

Green, L. (2016). Https://Www.nfhs.org/Articles/Cyberbullying-Challenging-Legal-Issues-for-Schools/. Retrieved from https://www.nfhs.org/articles/cyberbullying-challenging-legal-issues-for-schools/




 ]]> 2019-12-07 03:38:33 UTC https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421126133 Slide #3 Professional Organization Addressing Cyberbullying In Schools dlafave https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421369911 The National Education Association/NEA states that cyberbullying is a 24/7 problem that you can solve.  This is found in an article at the below link.  in this online article, the NEA states that cyberbullying takes places on cell phones, computers, and tablets and that cyberbullying is on the rise.

The NEA states that, "Cyberbullying can happen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can reach a young person even if they are alone in their room at home."  This is an ongoing online social media platform issue that in opinion should also be addressed possibly on a federal legal stage.  The NEA goes on to state, "The popularity of smartphones and social media sites, particularly ones like Snapchat, which allow messages to disappear, have made it easier for students to harass other students." 
The NEA also points the statistic that, "20-25 percent of adolescents have been bullied repeatedly through their cell phone or the Internet".





 

]]> 2019-12-08 20:56:56 UTC https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421369911 Slide #4 Cyberbullying On Social Media dlafave https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421373458 This is an ongoing issue involving public school students. [Image of Student Being Cyberbullied] (n.d.).  Retrieved from https://edscoop.com/report-cyberbullying-on-the-rise-in-public-schools/
In a news article online (July, 2017) by edscoop called "K-12 Report: Cyberbullying on the rise in public schools", they address and state that a quarter of middle and high school students across the United States deal with cyberbullying at least once a week.  This is a very serious and high statistic of public school students affected which does show that this social media issue is definitely on the rise due to more and more social media platforms and applications surfacing.

In this article, they go on to state that more and more students at younger ages are gaining access to smartphones and other devices which enables cyberbullying effects.  Edscoop states that cyberbullying, "“occurs when willful and repeated harm is inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, or other electronic devices” (July, 2017).


]]> 2019-12-08 21:17:20 UTC https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421373458 Slide #5 Cyberbullying Issues Affecting Students with Disabilities dlafave https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421375329 In an article, by Education Week recently, they state that, "Students with disabilities were 1.8 times more likely to be victims—and 1.7 times more likely to be perpetrators—of social media-related cyberbullying" (July, 2019).  

In review of this article and other articles, it is discovered that these students tend to go to social media online platforms in order to make friends.  This was a reflective interesting observation in looking at cyberbullying issues in public school systems.

Education Week went on to state, "When it comes to cyberbullying, the Ruderman Family Foundation report said, the negative consequences for students with disabilities can include feeling excluded or left out, low self-esteem from comparing themselves to the ways typically developing peers present themselves online, and increased exposure to people promoting risky behaviors such as self-harm" (July, 2019).


]]> 2019-12-08 21:28:23 UTC https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421375329 Slide #6 Texas State Law Addressing Cyberbulling: David's Law - What Is It and How Does It Affect A School's Response To Bullying dlafave https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421377671 What Is It - 
David's Law was enacted in Texas to address the ongoing situation involving cyberbullying attacks.  This state law specifically addresses cyberbullying effects in order to be able to more effectively approach it from legal ethical perspectives. 

The Texas’ 85th Legislative Session, Senate Bill 179, which was formally known as David’s Law, was passed and signed into Texas State law.

This recent law was named after 16-year-old David Molak, a high school student in San Antonio, Texas who had died by suicide after being harassed online.  The bill is aimed to bring awareness and new policies to schools to combat cyberbullying.

Senate Bill 179 (SB 179) classifies cyberbullying as a misdemeanor offense.

By doing so, the courts may issue subpoenas and uncover people who are posting anonymously online. The law also requires intervention from public schools when any cyberbullying behavior is suspected. Parents of students who cyberbully others may also be held responsible if they could have intervened but didn’t.  As a result, public school districts within Texas have to abide through certain policy regulations concerning cyberbullying incidents.

School Response To Cyberbullying - 

  • School district are required to include cyberbullying policies into district policies and notify parents if their child has been the victim of bullying or is the alleged aggressor. 

  • The bill requires school districts to develop an anonymous system to report bullying and threats. n School districts have a greater ability to investigate off campus bullying if they see it materialize in school, enabling school districts and law enforcement agencies to collaborate on investigations. 
  • School districts have a greater latitude to discipline or expel students for severe bullying behavior, including encouraging a child to commit or attempt suicide. 
  • The legislation enables law enforcement to unmask anonymous social media users who threaten others. 
  • Students can be charged with a misdemeanor for harassing or bullying anyone under the age of 18 through text messages, social media, websites, apps, or other means; and provides additional counseling and rehabilitation services to the aggressor and victim. 


]]> 2019-12-08 21:41:33 UTC https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421377671 Slide #7 Texas Education Code 37.0832 dlafave https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421380032 The Texas Education Code addresses Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Hazing.  It defines cyberbullying as affecting a student on or off school property if affects a student through student educational opportunities or if disrupts a school, classroom, or school-related activity.
Tex. Educ. Code § 37.0832(a-1)

States that cyberbullying is done through use of an electronic communication device such as a telephone, a computer, a camera, electronic mail, instant messaging, text messaging, social media application, internet website, or any internet based communication tool.
Tex. Educ. Code § 37.0832(a) (2).
This Texas State education state level administrative law addresses all phases of bullying to include cyberbulling definition.  This administrative law provides full stipulations on both defining and addressing regulations according to cyberbullying.

]]> 2019-12-08 21:58:35 UTC https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421380032 Slide #8 Title IV Of The Civil Rights Act Of 1964 dlafave https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421382168 Even though no federal law at this time specifically addresses cyberbullying in a direct manner, bullying does overlap involving discriminatory harassment when it is based on race, national origin, color, sex, age, disability, or religion. 

When bullying and harassment overlap which at times they may, federally-funded public schools do have an obligation to resolve this form of harassment.  This Federal Law therefore falls into line with cyberbullying guidelines and addresses and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving any forms of federal financial assistance.  This is why any cyberbullying case in the United States or Texas public schools would need to be fully investigated and all facts obtained on all parties involved. 
Any case falling within the confines of federal law should be addressed to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. 

Due to the complexities of cyberbullying in public schools across the United States, there is need for a more direct federal law and legislation addressing this increasing issue involving students to be passed.]]> 2019-12-08 22:13:44 UTC https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421382168 Slide #9 FERPA Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (1974) and Cyberbullying Factors dlafave https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421384558 This federal law (1974) involves legal consent as to student school records and information.  
The Internet allows for online access to information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For schools (public and nonpublic), online capabilities not only create a vast amount of resources but also facilitates distance learning and collaboration between classes and students in different locations.

Along with the benefits the Internet brings, however, come costs such as new threats to students. These incidents can lead to depression and anxiety, health complaints, and decreased academic achievement by students.

 Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices such as cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, text, and mobile applications (apps) or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else, causing embarrassment or humiliation. 

Cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior which can become directly related to FERPA legal guidelines within public school systems. If student information is improperly shared or posted online, then this infringes on student information being improperly shared.]]> 2019-12-08 22:28:54 UTC https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421384558 Slide #10 Local Administrative Law/Policy/Rule dlafave https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421387506 Grape Creek Independent School District where I currently work has implemented the STOPit! (Anonymous Incident Reporting) anonymous application which is local proactive policy which protects students and staff from any threats of cyberbullying and other areas. This is a proactive policy which enables reports to be anonymously sent so that can be reviewed and addressed accordingly. Grape Creek ISD has taken necessary steps enforcing local, state, and federal laws affected by cyberbullying.]]> 2019-12-08 22:48:43 UTC https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421387506 Slide #11 Texas Principal Standards - TPESS dlafave https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421388744 Cyberbullying is a very complex and developing issue within Texas public school districts and across the United States.  These issues continue to develop into complex areas due to the increase of more and more social media platforms.

Students within K-12 grade levels are affected and influenced due to more technological online devices being put in the hands of younger students.

Principals as school administrators are directly affected daily by cyberbullying issues that can come in various forms that have to be directly identified and reviewed.

According to the Texas Principal Standards (TPESS), Standard 4d states that a school administrator is responsible for creating an atmosphere of safety that encourages the social, emotional, and physical well-being of staff and students.

There can be conflicts surfacing in different situation in looking at local, state, and federal laws, and making sure that all ethical practices and laws are followed.]]> 2019-12-08 22:56:49 UTC https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421388744 Slide #12 Looking At Cyberbullying As An Issue dlafave https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421390229 Cyberbullying is an area that affects mostly students of certain ages, but it can come in different forms and affect people of all ages.  It is also important that we as educators readily identify the correct forms of it.  Also, it is important the we as educators, students, or parents, do not accidentally think that something is in the form of harassment.  We communicate online these days in many different forms of communication format.  

Dr. Elena Ben-Joseph states, "The impersonal nature of text messages, posts, and other ways of communicating online means it can be hard to figure out if someone is joking or not" (Ben-Joseph, 2018).

]]> 2019-12-08 23:08:48 UTC https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421390229 Slide #13 Best Practices For Compliance dlafave https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421391273 As a school administrator handling many issues on a daily basis, it is apparent from review on the topic of cyberbullying that there are many ethical and legal procedures which should be observed and followed.  Cyberbullying again is a very complex and developing issue within public schools all across the United States.  Therefore, it is very important that ethics and laws be followed to ensure the safety of students and educators.  These following guidelines should always be followed:
  • Stay diligent and in accordance of all local/state/federal laws - this involves staying informed and constantly reviewing any new laws or regulations passed
  • Maintain a comfortable school environment where students are not afraid or nervous to report things whether this be on a personal basis or reporting things they have observed - possibly have an anonymous reporting system that may help
  • If a cyberbulling issue has become observant, make sure that everything is reported accordingly to local/state law enforcement guidelines and that all parties involved are notified asap.  Then maintain strict confidentiality of parties of involved where a good investigation can take place to ensure that all facts are obtained on the case
  • It is important as a school administrator to ensure that your school district is properly informed of legal practices and procedures on reporting to ensure that policies are met accordingly
  • It is observed from analyzing and researching on this complex cyberbullying issue that more laws on possible federal level are needed to create better processes of handling on this issue, but that state agencies are doing good with their reviews on this matter up to date.  
]]> 2019-12-08 23:16:59 UTC https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421391273 References dlafave https://padlet.com/dlafave/imzxhc9b2rnl/wish/421393813 Ben-Joseph, E. P. (Ed.). (2018, April). Cyberbullying (for Teens) - Nemours KidsHealth. Retrieved from https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/cyberbullying.html.
Cyberbullying: The 24/7 Problem You Can Help Solve. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/home/60940.htm.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). (2018, March 1). Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html.
Federal Education Legislation. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/topics/federal-education-legislation-budget/federal-education-legislation/.
Federal Laws. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.stopbullying.gov/laws/federal/index.html.
Green, L. (2016). Https://Www.nfhs.org/Articles/Cyberbullying-Challenging-Legal-Issues-for-Schools/. Retrieved from https://www.nfhs.org/articles/cyberbullying-challenging-legal-issues-for-schools/
Herold, B. (2019, July 10). Social Media a Double-Edged Sword for Students With Disabilities, Study Finds. Retrieved from https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2019/07/social_media_students_disabilities_cyberbullying.html.
Principals: Texas Principal Standards- T-PESS. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://tpess.org/principal/standards/.
Texas Education Agency. (n.d.). Educators' Code of Ethics. Retrieved from https://tea.texas.gov/Texas_Educators/Investigations/Educators__Code_of_Ethics.
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (2019, November 4). Retrieved from https://www.justice.gov/crt/fcs/TitleVI.

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=R&app=9&p_dir=&p_rloc=&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&p_tac=&ti=19&pt=7&ch=247&rl=2.
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