Cyber Bullying State Laws and Policies
October 8th, 2008 by admin
Recently, a number of states have passed strong cyber bullying laws that are designed to protect children from being harassed, threatened and humiliated online. These laws represent a crucial step towards National anti-cyber bullying laws which will protect children of all ages in every corner of the country.
Here is a state-by-state look at some of these laws:
Arkansas
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.
Idaho
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.
Iowa
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.”
New Jersey
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.
Oregon
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.
Missouri
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
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.
Rhode Island
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
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.
Tags: cyber bullying laws, cyber bullying policies, cyberbullying law, cyberbullying laws, laws against cyber bullying, laws against cyberbullying
October 8th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Local state laws are WORTHLESS. I’ve been harassed by a “cyber bully” on and off for 5 years, and it doesn’t live in the same country, let alone state.
Our legislators are so out-of-date. They probably penned these laws to quash the nuisance of “indescent telegrams and telegraphs”.
November 9th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
my 15 year old daughter has been a victim of this by a gal at her school….i went to the principal and also sent three emails to facebook where the main bullying is happening…i have yet to get a response…..my daughters account on there is no longer but the other girl keeps posting very bad things about my daughter it has been a nightmare……of course this is all happening in wisconsin
November 10th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
I have been cyberbullied from this woman that was working for the Hard Rock Biloxi and ran off to Florida with my partner of 8 years. Leaving us behind in bills. Since Oct. 7 Court date it have gotten worse. I can’t take it anymore I’m 43 yrs old and no one will listen to me. I’m afraid of her, her behavior is out of this wolrd and she makes it look like it is me. I have had people review her harassment and she is bullying me and she made another page for my ex partner that does not even know how to turn on a computer much less make a myspace page and she is leaving nasty messages on his page also. I have saved everything and I hope one day some will take me serious on how scared I’m of her.
Lisa 45 and Kerry 43 zip 34484 They both scare me!
November 18th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
there is someone in my school who is a target of cyber bullying which is awful
January 7th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
This is a joke, you cannot monitor the internet, and why are people taking threats over the internet seriously anyway? You cannot harm somebody physically over the internet and anybody stupid enough to actually want to kill themselves instead of turning off their computer monitor needs a psych evaluation
January 19th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
What about laws to protect adults from cyberbullying. I am in NY State on Long Island, and have been trheatened with physical harm as well as pulicly degraded and humiliated in public fourms. They have even threatened to send people to my house. I am afraid to leave at time or meet with people who they might know as well, because I know of previous instances where from a license plate all of another persons personal information was obtained and pulicly posted on a nationally known and popular website
January 29th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
I have been getting bullied for many years and even more since my two kids are half black and half white…..ppl have left very rude comments about my children and about me whn i was with a black man. this needs to stop and the police are no help and i leave in nebraska….just recently my buddy who is handicap gets bullied and it pisses me off so bad. I hate it when the person/people do this. The law needs to change to protect everybody in everystate and out of the country even…not just a handful of states. THIS BULLYNG NEEDS TO QUIT NOW!!!
February 23rd, 2009 at 2:40 pm
I am very upset and feel completely vulnerable to a nameless, faceless cyber bully. Someone, who I cannot figure out, has erected a website that slanders me and people in my family in a very painful, horrible way. This person or persons also stole pictures of me from my website and posted mean, slanderous comments about my weight and daily habits that are untrue. The whole website is cruel, horrendous, and what I would deem cyber bullying. Where do I go, and what do I do to have this website removed from the internet? Does anyone know how I can protect myself and my family against this?
Thank you so much
March 7th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
This girl online has been cyber bullying me for months lately. It has gotten worst. She started bringing my girl friend into the fight and one of my families murdered friends into it. We live in different states. I do not know what state she lives in which is really annoying. I have no clue what to do because I am only a young teenager. I’m afraid if I do not do something soon, it will only get much much worst. She has threatend to hurt me, because she is older I guess. I’m sure she is going to start with death threats soon.
March 26th, 2009 at 10:57 am
these states are farther along than the other less advanced states…this is a national issue. WHY CANT WE ACCEPT THAT!!
May 1st, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Erm… I feel really bad, and upset, and very concerned. I am 14 years old and I live in England. I have been Cyberbullying someone at my school and I feel really really bad about it. I didn’t exactly know what Cyberbulling was… Until now. I am very very worried and scared about what will happen to me. This victim of which I have cyberbullyed is called Louise. She is the same age as me and is in my lessons at school. She has said to many of her friends that I am an unwealthy, childish, pathetic and petty. I have also been accused by her friends that she hangs around with at breaktimes and lunchtimes, that I am a low-lifed thief and a lesbian. I know now that what I have done is wrong and I have also been told by numerous amounts of people she knows, that I am in big trouble with the Police. Can somebody please aid me in this situation. I am not a bad person I just need some help that’s all.
Can somebody please tell me what to do, what will happen if Louise has told the Police, and what the Police will then do to me?
Thankyou so much for your time and for reading this.
-Rachel. x
May 14th, 2009 at 9:44 am
this is ridiculous. you want the police to protect you from name calling. when will it end. don’t you see that the more you ask for big brother’s help the more freedoms you are giving up. and to suggest that we can deal with this on a national level is very scary. wake up people
May 19th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
there was a topic site started about a cop that was fired for riding with someone that was drinking they had a wreck and the cop was severely injured and the driver also had illigal pills in his position. I learned of this web site and commented on it, now the ex cop has found out who me and my family is and is haveing other cop buddies make threats towards my daughter her husband and her children. what does this fall under in the arkansas law. I would like to know if there can be something done about it and if the web site can be shut down
May 30th, 2009 at 8:08 am
I read this stuff and it is absolutely ridiculous. This cyber bullying law is a direct violation of freedom of speech. Weather people say it online or in person or behind your back, where does it stop? A person has a right to speak and say whatever they want. Its not like I’ve never been made fun of or been bullied, but to say you can go to prison for hurting someones feeling is just outrageous! I cannot believe where our country is going. What a bunch of cry babies. Oh they said this and they said that, give me a damn break and what makes it even funnier is that some of you are in your 40’s and your crying about getting your feelings hurt. I can see where this could come in play if people are calling for bodily harm towards you, but other than that, quit crying. I guess the fed will be showing up to question me about this comment here too. Is what I said constitute cyber bullying since I don’t agree with the main consensus. You people need to go back and read what this country was really based on and quit letting the tyranny thats taking over this country rid you of your rights.
June 3rd, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Sweet blog. I never know what I am going to come across next. I think you should do more posting as you have some pretty intelligent stuff to say.
I’ll be watching you .
June 26th, 2009 at 11:44 am
are you people serious, the internet isn’t evil, and doesn’t need to be controlled, words don’t hurt, people need to stop babying their kids
July 6th, 2009 at 11:18 am
You know I don’t agree with people being bullied, but you can’t bring the law upon the bullier either. Part of growing up is to learn how to be strong. By trying to get these kids in trouble with the law is a whole different story. It is sort of like how its hard to say no to your child, but then if you give in wheres the discipline? I’ve gotten bullied before, but I didn’t go cry like an immature child. I was taught to ignore it. And good childhood lessons are starting to disappear. For something that was very immature and can be resulted in person, should not be mixed with the law because it jeopardizes these kids future because they have a felony for online bullying. Later on if that child finally matures and wants to get a job, they most likely can’t because of a silly bullying record on their background even if that person is completely different.
Plus there are a lot of studies stated kids who bullied were once bullied themselves. So who are we really saving?
I see more and more children acting way younger than they should. You guys need to tell your child to grow the hell up, because when I was growing up I noticed that I don’t even stay in contact with those people any more. I’ve realized that life is too short to hold burdens on people who belittled us. Your children should be more concerned with how they’re going to make a living and what steps need to be taken to become successful people.
July 14th, 2009 at 5:35 am
I think this is against freedom of speech. I’m in my mid 20’s and could care less what some coward wants to say on the internet. If your over 18 you really need to learn to ignore something like this, our are freedom of speech rights will be stripped from us. Honestly it’s one thing to get harassed over the phone or in person. That’s what restraining orders are for and contacting the cops if you must. I understand if you have a daughter and if your a younger person how this could effect you. Internet threats or bullying are what they are, it happens. If someone gets your contact information and takes it the next step past the internet, then do what you thinks best. Let’s not find more ways to get rid of freedom of speech.
July 14th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
My neice who shares custody of her two children with her ex gets constant texts and voicemails of personal attacks, negativity, hurtful comments, and not only are they doing them toward her….they do so in front of the kids……HATE IN A FORM I PERSONALLY HAVE NOT SEEN.
Don’t they understand that these comments go deeper than the phone lines and the burden it puts on the kids is long lasting.
ACTION: Instructed by police to call Phone Co. to block them from her phone. Easy..but if that is how you communicate with children, then makes BLOCKING difficult. However, like my neice by a cell phone for her to call kids and no texting or sending calls… unfortunately, hate continues….unless courts clarify the phone use…then..how conveniently, the phone is lost, not charged, or near them to receive calls…IN GOD WE TRUST, ALL OTHERS MUST DOCUMENT IN COURT PAPERS!!!!!!!!
July 20th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
education/awareness is key ~ hope any passed law(s) are not easily exploited ~
August 9th, 2009 at 1:29 am
I am a teen mother. I am honest about my son to my friends and family on my websites “myspace, facebook, etc.” I also talk on yahoo messanger… Well not recently, the threats and horrible comments are reseave are gut renching. They call me a whore, say my son is a discrase! They have even gone as far as fallowing me “in large groups” to every chat room i go to… Last time i got on i was booted and a virus was sent to my computer… Im not to worried about this for myself but i can only imagine how younger children “who care so much of what others think” are going through… This is horrible and for those who say “just ignore them.” Your wrong! Trust me its not that easy!
This has to stop!
August 14th, 2009 at 10:12 am
I am a member of the IMDB.com website and I have been stalked and hararssed by cyber bullys. I have written to the Admins countless times and informed them of specific people that are harrassing me bu they refuse to do anything. I even suggested to them to add a blockage feature so users like me and everyone else can block specific trolls from stalking you around but they’ve ignored that suggestion. In the rules for sigining up it says if you’re a troll your account gets deleted but when I’bve pointed out several cyber bullys they just tell me that because of heavy traffic flow of posts they can’t do anything. Even when I point out specific ones and link those cyber bullys’ post history for them!
August 14th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
im doing a project on this thanks for the information
August 18th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
Now if only police would enforce them and the law would apply to adults who bully other adults online!
August 19th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
This has to be the most ridiculous law ever. What is it, is America trying to police the internet? Last I checked the internet was not part of a nation. These laws are a joke. If someone is being victimized they should get over it, it’s just over the internet after all. Bullying in real life is far worse and yet nothing is done about that. If you ask me, it’s nature’s way of filtering the gene pool.
August 25th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
I monitor my teenage daughters account and was horrified to come across a agressive and abusive email sent to my daughter from a girl she had never met The email was sent because someone suggested she send this to my daughter. The facebook message was full of profanity and references which attacked my daughters physical characteristics. I contacted facebook with no response and I suggest parents get more involved and contact the schools these young people are attending with the hope they can get counseling on their unacceptable inappropriate behavior. Most schools have a code of conduct that students must abide by and this should help them to stop and think before they destroy any child’s life.
September 19th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
This happen to me on myspace with a game called mobsters the person would leave comments I would block new id new comments over and over. He also made a call from a public phone and did make a threat. My company was tied into the myspace now it is not and that is how he got my phone number. I had noticed that anyone who stood up for me with him has also been bullied. I did a report with myspace and mobster and nothing has happen. This could happen to a child and they need to do something about it. When I blocked him with his id and he got a new one he got real mad. I have made my account private and don’t go into mobsters game now except to see threats he has made to other people and this is wrong, myspace and mobsters needs to do something about this and they have not. When you someone who makes a threat towards someone on a game like this you have a social path and the law needs to do something about it. The person is with a group on mobsters called Unity With Honor they are Unity with Thugs My advice to anyone is if your child plays on this game keep a eye open for its happening very much. You never know who that person is or where they are and if they make a threat take it to the police.
September 24th, 2009 at 1:23 am
I was a member at one social video chat site (I won’t say which one) for a year. Everything was going good there. I had friends and respect there. Then, some new members (”trolls”) came and started harassing me by sending me hateful e-mails, private messages and making up heartless parodies of my screen name. I simply clicked “ignore” and “block”… and that seemed to have done the trick… for awhile. The “trolls” didn’t stop though. They were able to contact the majority of my ‘friends” and told them “lies” that I was talking about them behind their backs, therefore, turning my friends against me. I then started getting harassed by almost the entire site. I tried reporting it to the Admin, but they didn’t do anything about it. It felt like the Old West where a band of “desperados” would ride into town and raise hell with guns blazing… and no sheriff in town to protect me. Later, somebody was somehow able to get my full name, phone number and mailing address (possibly by means of “hacking”) and posted the information in one of the site’s video chat rooms, urging the “psychos” there to harass me as much as possible. A week later, somebody smashed in the windows of my family’s car as it sat in the driveway. I was also getting weird phone calls late at night and viruses sent to me through the computer. I finally left that site and went to another one that seemed more friendlier.
September 28th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
It’s no fun to tease, harass or torment someone if the victim doesn’t respond. The problem is, these bullies eventually get a response of some sort from the victim, further throwing gas on the fire.
If it’s a child who’s the victim. Advise them to not cry in front of the bully, don’t even recognize the fact it’s going on. The bully will get bored and eventually go away. No reaction is the key.
Same as being an adult who’s being bullied. Ignoring and not recognizing is not the same. Don’t ignore the fact it’s happening. BUT, Do not give a response that the bully is looking for. Crying, fighting, retaliation etc.
It took me about 8 months, but i was able to make it stop by not recognizing the bully. Don’t give them any attention.
It works with adults too. I have an Aunt who is a complete NUT. She should be in a straight jacket. She’s a bully. I avoid ANY reaction to her. Now she’s bored with it and has given up.
NEVER respond….. ever
October 1st, 2009 at 11:56 am
hi Afraid For my 5yrs old and I, I am almost the same situation, maybe we could get together and submit something against myspace…..my husband ex wife, no children together, has created a myspace with my husband name, our pictures, posting our arrest records, someone else medical record, adding nasty comments about my husband and I…..I reported abuse to myspace nothing has been done….now I know for a fact this woman have violated laws and myspace terms of use, but like everywhere you need an attorney to do anything…..
October 3rd, 2009 at 7:47 pm
Sarina, your ignorance is showing! It is a proven fact that a very large majority of chilhood bullies become criminals later on. Check out your resources before stating such silly comments. A large number of violent crime is committed by minors.
October 20th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Thanks for sharing, say, do you have a twitter to follow?
October 26th, 2009 at 7:45 am
Thanks for putting on this info.. im working on a project and this website helped.. i dont like how people put rude comments,, cbyerbullying does need to stop..
October 27th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
It’s true that kids and teens should try to ignore all the harsh words that get sent to them and maybe kids and teens do need to be tougher than they are but there’s more to cyber-bullying than just harsh words. Being chased around from chat room to chat room is terrible, and it gets worse than that when the bullies spread rumours around and make other people avoid you especially when those rumours begin to coincide with real life.
October 30th, 2009 at 8:48 am
People who fight with others online all the time and cyber bully and rant there non-sense those people are cowards. In reality I don’t think they have a clue they just rant all the time online at people. Some of these people from what I been reading has mental illnesses.
October 30th, 2009 at 8:50 am
I had to deal with a few online nuts who cyber bully people or everyone on things.Ignore & report don’t take it serious they just have no life & Some are so mental only way to stop them is to report them to teach them a hard lesson. Many won’t cut the crap out when you ask them to.
October 30th, 2009 at 8:52 am
I reported mine to the police simple fact is that he is using harassment on many people & stalking others online. He is crazy. He laughs when we told him how stupid his fighting was and that he can be tracked by police he believes he can’t be tracked down. He’s been accused of being a predator by a few people as well. Not good….So hopefully the police will look into him.
November 4th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
For anyone to say that laws against cyber bullying are ridiculous in any way, I’m sorry but I believe thats a load of crap. Yeah you need to learn how to be strong blah blah, but thats not the case here. The case is what crosses the line between “kids being kids” and “kids tormenting kids”. I personally could care less about people harassing me on the internet. I mean if it’s just like some random person saying “You’re dumb omg go kill yourself” I could care less because that person is obviously a low life and has nothing better to do wth their time. But the thing is not EVERYONE is like that. There have been people to commit suicide because of the awful way they have been treated and the horrible disgusting things that have been said to them by other people online. And those people (in my opinion) deserve to be punished just as much as any other criminal.
November 6th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
What if it is happening to an adult. How can I get our Senate in Alabama to listen to me? How can I stop them?
November 11th, 2009 at 12:56 am
Look, it’s not just the bullying that pushes people to do stupid things like suicide.
I’ve been bullied for year, and to be honest, it’s never got to me.
People just care too much about what people think about them.
I know most teenagers are insecure because of the changes that are happening, but I’m 14 and, to be harsh, I don’t give a shit.
December 1st, 2009 at 10:19 am
Back when I lived in Wisconsin, the cyberbullying was egocentric. It was out of control, destroying my life. I couldn’t even breathe. I couldn’t walk out of my own house. I would turn off my computer and it would come back on!!! I was a victim. OF CYBERBULLYING.
December 1st, 2009 at 11:19 am
[...] immunity and special legal privilege. In many states across the US, cyber bullying laws are already being implemented. And in the UK, there are laws and initiatives to prevent cyberbullying. As social find to see [...]
December 3rd, 2009 at 10:45 am
I am so upset that my friend, [Fed Up in Louisiana] posted a comment on her experience of her cyberbully, but it was not posted. I don’t understand why it would not be here. I came on this website seeking her experience and was utterly disappointed. This is no joking matter. Cyberbullying is a leading cause of suicide and deaths these days among many young teens. If this website has something against my friend’s comment, then you are ridiculous. All of you. She was simply trying to tell the world of her cyberbully experience from when she lived in Wisconsin, and how she couldn’t even walk out of her door because of it. Now that she resides in Louisiana, it has simmered down, but is still a problem. She is not a promiscious girl, people just have problems with trying to act tough, behind their computers. People need to be informed on the DANGERS OF CYBERBULLYING!
Don’t be another Lori Drew.
BE SAFE. MONITOR YOUR CHILDREN’S ONLINE ACTIVITY. PLEASE.
IT COULD CAUSE THEM THEIR LIVES.
Thank You,
FED UP IN LOUISIANA. 2. (:
January 8th, 2010 at 8:23 pm
i get cyber bullied all the time,some users from U.K Germany and Japan also here in the U.S i get cyber bullied from people i don’t know for no reason and they keep cursing,calling me mean names and horrible stuff and I was like “Who are these people?” I hated when that happens but I just ingnored them and reported them.
January 24th, 2010 at 9:33 pm
cyber bullying is wrong and hurtful, BUT it is illegal to silence anyone that is not threatening to hurt someone. if it is a mere bulling of words and mean names being called it is just to bad, ignore it, that is all you can do because are patriotic rights state “freedom of speech” so it is unlawful to silence online bullys
February 6th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Fairly great post, definitely helpful stuff. Never ever thought I’d obtain the information I would like in this article. I have been hunting all around the internet for a while now and was starting to get discouraged. Thankfully, I stumbled onto your internet site and received exactly what I had been browsing for.
February 9th, 2010 at 10:30 am
Maybe parents should sue Facebook. Most of the occurrances are involving children who are not old enough to actually have a Facebook account. They lie on the questionaire and parents have no access to the materials posted due to so called “privacy laws” . the parents can however be sued by the “wrong party” even though they are not able to see what their children are posting.
We cannot continue to ask our schools to be responsible for disciplining students when they are not at school, we have to empower parents with the rights to raise their children. An online company should not have the right to keep vital information from parents. Any time a parent wants to view a Facebook (or any other account) to ensure that their children are making good choices they should be able to. otherwise, don’t hold parents responsible for the actions of their children.
February 11th, 2010 at 3:05 pm
Does California have any state laws on Cyber Bullying????? H-E-L-P
:O
March 11th, 2010 at 6:46 pm
Our school looks at our facebook pages now watever happened to privacy