When students use technology to harass their peers, it occurs in two primary ways. First, cyberbullying can take place in the school through the use of school-owned resources (such as lab computers or school-issued laptops and the wired or wireless school network) or through personal devices used on school grounds (cell phones, iPads, netbooks, etc.). In these situations, administrators have full authority to address the misbehavior if it violates school policy or otherwise detracts from the purpose, intent, and goals of the school.
Second, cyberbullying can happen off-campus on home computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices using a non-school Internet connection. In these situations, school administrators are often more reluctant to get involved. While this is a legally complicated situation and courts have typically supported the free expression (First Amendments) rights of students, several rulings have upheld the actions of school administrators in disciplining students for off-campus actions.
In such cases, the school must show that the misbehavior substantially or materially disrupted learning, or interfered with the educational mission or school discipline, or that schoolowned technology was used to harass, or threaten other students or infringe with rights to feel and be safe and secure.
Despite the legal uncertainties, schools should always respond to all cyberbullying incidents that they are made aware of.
With relatively minor situations, contacting the parents of the students) involved may be all that is necessary to stop the behavior from continuing. Students also need to be made aware that all forms of bullying that interfere with the learning environment at school are potentially subject to school sanctions such as detention suspension, or loss of extracurricular privileges.
District personnel, in consultation with their school attorney, should review harassment, bullying, code of conduct, and acceptable use policies to determine if they allow for the discipline of students who engage in cyberbullying.
Administrators should consult with their school attorney on all relevant school policies and procedures BEFORE incidents occur to find out what actions they can or cannot take in various situations.
Policies should explicitly note that cyberbullying incidents which occur at school––or that originate off-campus but ultimately result in a substantial disruption of the learning environment––are subject to student discipline.
The school then needs to communicate these policies to make it clear to students, staff, and parents, the these behaviors are prohibited and can warrant a punitive response.
School should post signs in the computer lab or at each computer workstations to inform students of the technology rules for school-owned or personal devices.
1. Specific definitions for harassment, intimidation, and bullying, including electronic forms
2. Graduated consequences and remedial actions
3. Procedures for reporting incidents
4. Procedures for investigating incidents
5. Specific language that if a student’s off-campus speech or behavior results in “substantial disruption of the learning environment,” the student can be disciplined in school
6. Procedures for preventing cyberbullying
By collecting survey and/or interview data from students, a baseline measure can be established to determine the extent and scope of the problem in the school community.
A variety of questions can be posed–closed-ended and open-ended, and focusing on a number of offline and online behavior. Specific, informed strategies can then be implemented to educate students and staff about electronic communications in creative and powerful ways.

Send information home to parents and sponsor a community education event on cyberbullying with the PTA or local businesses.
Invite parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other relevant adults to participate. Incentivize participation with door prizes, food, or other symbolic gestures or tokens of appreciation.
The most important preventive step is to educate the school community about responsible internet interactions. It is therefore essential to discuss issues related to appropriate online communications in various areas of the general curriculum–and not just in technology-related classes.
Teachers should discuss the responsible use of Facebook and similar social networking sites and highlight cases that illuminate how students have carelessly or unwittingly sabotaged their future and / or undermined the athletic participation, college admission, work opportunities or social relationships through unwise postings.
While students may know that cyberbullying is not tolerated and that their behavior may result in school-based discipline, the vast majority of these incidents can usually be handled informally by school staff calling, meeting or conferencing with the teenager or with his/her parents.
School administrators need to communicate to all parties involved that all cyberbullying behaviors are to be taken seriously and not trivialized.
Explicit action by the school is necessary to condemn the behavior while at the same time sending a strong message to parents and the rest of the school community that bullying in any form is wrong and will not be tolerated.
Parents also need to know that some cyberbullying incidents do not fall under the purview of the school. In these cases, parents may want to pursue other civil or criminal avenues for any harassment, invasion of privacy, and/or intentional infliction of emotional distress that their children might have endured.
Schools must thoroughly respond to all incidents in a timely manner. When made aware of a cyberbullying incident, schools need to:
• Assess the immediate threat
• Ensure the safety of the target (by separating the bully from the target and closely monitoring the situation)
• Demonstrate compassion and empathy to the target
• Restrain the bully if necessary
• Investigate and gather evidence
• Contact both students’ parents
• Notify key school staff (teachers, counselor, whose who supervise the students in school, etc.
• Contact the police when physical threats are involved
• Enforce disciplinary policy as appropriate
Keep all evidence of your cyberbullying investigation including a file with screen shots, message logs, or any other content so that the seriousness of the behavior and its negative impact on he school and learning environment can be demonstrated. This is especially vital if the school intends to formally sanction students (e.g., suspensions, loss of extra-curricular privileges).
Schools should come up with creative (age-appropriate) response strategies when cyberbullying occurs, particularly for relatively minor forms that do not result in significant harm. For example, schools can encourage a variety of activities to raise awareness about the issue, such as student-created anti-cyberbullying videos that could be posted to YouTube, grassroots student pledge campaigns, and informative anti-bullying posters to be displayed in school hallways and classrooms.
All disciplinary responses should be commensurate with the seriousness of the incident. With cases involving serious threats toward another student or where the target of the bullying no longer feels comfortable coming to school, or if he cyberbullying behaviors continue after informal attempts to stop it have failed, schools must consider a wide range of strong disciplinary action, including detention, suspension, changes of placement, or even student expulsion, as is necessary and warranted.
Remember, if these types of disciplinary measures are required, it is critically important that educators clearly demonstrate the link between the cyberbullying and a disruption to the learning environment in school (or the infringement upon another student’s right to feel safe), as well as present evidence that supports their actions.
When the cyberbullying involves a possible threat to the safety of students or staff, law enforcement needs to be notified. Other instances which can implicate police include cyberbullying involving: coercion or extortion; sexually-explicit pictures of minors; mistreatment based on race, sexual orientation/identity, gender, or another protected status; or stalking.
Research has shown a link between a perceived “negative” environment on campus and an increased prevalence of cyberbullying and victimization among students. In general, it is crucial to establish and maintain a school climate of respect and integrity where violations result in informal of formal sanctions. Many schools participate in character education and/or programs that promote social-emotional learning. These should be implemented in all schools due to their value in shaping character and contributing to personal and professional success in adulthood.
The focus of all bullying prevention efforts rests in creating a school climate that encourages civility, mutual respect and connectedness with the school community. By teaching social-emotional learning skills and utilizing the principles of character education, schools can cultivate qualities of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making among students. In turn, these enable youth to resolve conflict, respect differences, and choose healthy behaviors––which of course contribute to short-term and long-term personal, academic, and relational success. This intervention can be done across the entire school (rather than only targeting bullies and victims) through a multi-faceted approach involving rule-setting, training, peer-focused programming,, super-vision, curriculum enhancements, role-playing, and counseling.