Rhode Island schools would have a single, statewide policy to combat cyberbullying under legislation approved Tuesday by House lawmakers.
At least 20 percent of schoolchildren report being the victim of repeated online harassment from peers, according to Justin Patchin, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center. Patchin said it's only logical that bullying has migrated from the locker room to the chat room since teens embrace technology faster than adults.By DAVID KLEPPER, Associated Press
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island schools would have a single, statewide policy to combat cyberbullying under legislation approved Tuesday by House lawmakers.
The proposal would give teachers and administrators new rules on how to respond to bullying reports, notify parents and discipline students. It's designed to address what educators say is a growing problem of students using email, text messages and social networking sites to bully or humiliate their peers.
The bill would also prohibit students from accessing social networking sites like Facebook during school hours without a teacher's permission.
"Bullying itself has changed so dramatically since we were in school," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Deborah Ruggiero, D-Jamestown. "The bell rang and we left the bully in the schoolyard. Now ... the bullying follows you home."
The House voted 66-3 to pass the bill. The Senate is already considering similar legislation. The measures are the result of a state task force charged with examining problems caused by the increasing use of technology by schoolchildren. Ten states already have statewide policies on cyberbullying, Ruggiero said.
Many local schools have cyberbullying policies in place, but supporters of the legislation say parents, teachers and students would have an easier time understanding uniform rules.
It would be up to state education officials to work out the details of the policy.
Little opposition to the bill was offered during Tuesday's debate or during legislative hearings on the bill.
The proposal is one of several designed to combat inappropriate online activities. One would make it a juvenile offense for minors to transmit sexually explicit photos of themselves. Another bill which passed the Senate on Tuesday would add cyberstalking and online harassment to the list of crimes that could be considered domestic violence.
At least 20 percent of schoolchildren report being the victim of repeated online harassment from peers, according to Justin Patchin, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center. Patchin said it's only logical that bullying has migrated from the locker room to the chat room since teens embrace technology faster than adults.
"Schools are looking for help," said Patchin, a professor of criminal justice at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. "It's behavior that can go on 24 hours a day, but it often escalates at schools. It affects the learning environment."