Cyberbullying on College Campuses:
Exploring the Ethical Response to a Case Study
Between Staff and Students
KATE CURLEY
4/24/13
Outline
 Case study
 Analysis



Legal Considerations
Ethic of Justice
Ethic of Critique
 Decision making process



Reflection
Themes
Resolution
 Limitations and concerns


Ethic of Care
Ethic of the Profession
Fictional Case Study
 Student makes fake Facebook page of a staff member
 Response to a disciplinary decision
 Sexist and racist comments and pictures
 Key Players
 Staff member


Student


Dr. Amy Winters
Mark
“Your role”
Vice President of Student Affairs
 Amy’s supervisor

Legal Considerations
 J.S. v. Blue Mountain School District and Layshock
ex. rel. Layshock v. Hermitage School District

Inconsistent rulings
 “Substantive disruption” vs. First Amendment.
 Goal: avoid a lawsuit
(Davis, 2011; Hinduja & Patchin, 2011)
Ethic of Justice
 Kant (2004): people as ends in themselves, not
means to end

Mark using Winters as means

Winter using Mark as means
 Goal: to get all parties to see people as ends
Ethic of Critique
 vs. “banking system” of education (Freire, 2009)

Mark: feels powerless

Vs. “because I said so”
 Education as practice of freedom (hooks, 1994) and
learning partnerships (Baxter-Magolda, 2003)

Meaning-Making process (Baxter-Magolda, 2003, 2009;
Kegan, 1982)

Winters: acknowledge ethical freedom and marginalization
Ethic of Care
 “Step into another’s shoes” to encourage growth
(Beck, 1994; Dalai Llama, 1999; Noddings, 1999)
 In the scenario:
 Mark:


understand the hurt and the disciplinary action
Winters

Understand Mark developmentally
Ethic of the Profession
 The field of student affairs

Allegiance to the University

“Small:” want no blemishes or lawsuits

Intentionality (Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher
Education, 2012)
 Role of a supervisor

Incl. Winters

Have “contextual intelligence” (Terenzini, 1993)
Final Considerations
 These types of dilemmas:
“they reveal, they test, and they
shape” (Badaracco, 1997, p.6-7)
 Deliberation through reflection

Critical component of ethics (Aurelias,
1964)

Meaning-making process (Baxter-Magolda,
2003, 2009; Kegan, 1982, 1998)
Four patterns
1.
Respecting personhood
2. Accountability vs. Free Speech
3. Importance of Fostering Functional Relationships
4. Centrality of Education
Recommended Solutions
Collect all information
2. Transparency regarding the disciplinary action
3. The educational moment:
1.
1.
2.
3.
Online citizenship
Diversity training
Student Development training for staff
4. Rebuild relationships
1.
Between students and staff
2.
Between students and Dr. Winters
3.
Between staff and Mark
Limitations, Concerns, & Future Implications
 Concerns:

Can you keep up with technology?

Idealistic

My personal lens
 Future implications

Importance of problem

Generalizability of the framework
Any Questions?
THANK YOU.
References
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