UK Schools Will Fight Cyberbullying

Plutonite writes "The BBC is running a story on UK schools being told by the education minister to fight cyberbullying, by which they mean bullying with the aid of (network-based) technology. Schools have been told to confiscate mobile phones, and, more controversially, to investigate and get material removed from personal social-networking sites. Are schools supposed to be doing this as an extension of their duty to prevent physical bullying in school, or is this is yet another example of governmental intervention where it is not due? Should kids be brought up knowing that their life on the web is being documented and controlled by people other than their parents?"

Comments

Re:Personal experience in the UK

[cayenne8]

"Instead of resorting to Orwellian methods, maybe they should take some basic steps to reduce actual physical bullying."

I think we should really make it clear to kids, that what they post about themselves, and others WILL become something that is nye impossible to remove once place on the internet. It really is worse than the proverbial "permanent record" we were all threatened with growing up. In this case...it IS. And it can follow them through adulthood, possibly to haunt them in job applications, etc.

That being said...I think education should stop AT education. Teach them, but, they are not there to enforce rules off campus. I don't feel that is within their jurisdiction.

i

[kurtis25]

I was bullied in elementary school. By High school I was friends with the kid who bullied me, and yes we had fun with that one. We were talking about bullying in my humanities class, my friend (the ex-bully) raised his hand and said, "I used to bully people," the teacher asked how he thought that made the other kid feel. The bully said, "I dunno," he looked at me and asked, "how did you make it feel?" I said something about not remembering but that he owed me back for all the lunch money he took after he beat me up. The look on the teachers face was priceless. In a real response, it's the schools job (since parents don't seem to know) to help build some character into students. The school should help students to learn what the Internet is and what the future consequences are of action on the net. The school shouldn't play big punisher and use it's hand to punish kids for mean statement written at home. Maybe the school could help parents moniter online life if there are issues or warn parents of potential issues. They shoudl also let paretns know of problems that may be occuring. If a kid is being picked on at school he or she is probably seing the same issues online and hiding them all from parents.

Remember: This is the UK, not the US.

[Ungrounded Lightning]

... is this is yet another example of governmental intervention where it is not due?

When considering government interference with free speech and balancing this with libel and other criminal written speech, please remember that the schools and government in question are in the UK.

The UK government does NOT have a constitutional guarantee of a right to free speech and freedom of the press. Its libel laws are quite different from those of the US as well. (It's one of the major differences between the legal systems of the two - in the US truth is an absolute defense aganst claims of defamation, and "public figures" have an extra burden of proving deliberate malace when bringing a charge.)

Now the question was about whether such intervention was PROPER. IMHO that doesn't vary as you cross The Pond - though others may disagree. But what's LEGAL, what's standard governmental practice, and the theoretical underpinnings behind decisions and reasoning about them DO differ drastically. So what the courts will let the government get away with, and how to go about getting them to force the government to back off, will also differ greatly.

Re:Personal experience in the UK

[Arthur B.]

Community service? The kid didn't harm "the community" he harmed you, any damage he owes he owes to you, not to the community. You should also have the option to punch him in the nose, if he believes its ok to do it, then it must be ok to receive it.