By Remi Nemeroff
Contributing Writer
Redondo Union High School’s idea to implement an anti-cyberbullying program was an excellent decision despite little clarity thus far, and Mira Costa should also take initiative to wholly reduce cyberbullying.
In the Mira Costa Discipline Matrix, the types of bullying are explicitly listed and defined and are subsequently presented with respective repercussions. However, these guidelines lack a fundamental component to combat new methods of cyber-bullying, despite the fact that it is part of the California Education Code as of 2009, with the passage of Assembly Bill 86.
Given the recent innovation and accessibility of social media sites, notably Facebook and Twitter, the rate at which cyber-bullying occurs and can be spread is constantly increasing over time and, thus, action needs to be taken to stop this growth.
Due to certain distinct privacy rights and the fact that said bullying does not transpire on school property, the enactment of appropriate punitive measures poses a rather difficult problem. Despite the latter but minute drawback, the Mira Costa disciplinary system should impose a policy addressing acts of cyber-bullying. This can be more easily accomplished if concrete documentation of such an incident is presented to a school official.
According to the i-SAFE Foundation, approximately one in three young adults has experienced cyber-threats online. Such statistics are alarming and warrant immediate revision of the current Costa disciplinary system in place. According to many students, a policy directed at addressing the diverse aspects of cyber-bullying would strongly benefit the student body as a whole.
The need to regulate inappropriate and hurtful posts that consistently infiltrate social media sites is clear. Despite arguments that declare such inspection as “a violation of personal privacy,” posts published online are available for the world to observe and inspect with utmost scrutiny. Therefore, the right to privacy ceases to exist when one so carefully chooses to post inappropriate and clearly injurious statements online.
The simple solution for Mira Costa is to adopt the same policy the state has in place for cyberbullying. It is defined as a separate issue than school bullying and the offense is grounds for suspension or expulsion. Instead of vaguely defining bullying as an umbrella term, specifying cyberbulling and laying out a clear plan for punishment will deter bullies from acting in the first place.
Merely bypassing and sometimes wholeheartedly disregarding the threats correlated with chronic bullying is no longer a viable option. With increased access to social media sites and dependence on technology, reforms must be initiated and implemented into the disciplinary policy to ensure the well-being of all students at Mira Costa.
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