THE OVERALL PROBLEM
"Each year organizations conduct statistics on the number, type, place, and causes of bullying, and each year the statistics show bullying is a growing problem. One in four students report being a victim of bullying at school on a regular basis ((these are only the kids that report bullying, many say nothing until it is too late)) , and every day 160,000 students skip school because they fear other students will bully them. Different types of bullying include physical, verbal, indirect (excluding people from social groups and spreading rumors about people), and the newest type of bullying—cyber-bullying. While bullying used to take place almost exclusively at school, with the increasing availability of the internet and cell phones among students, bullying can take place anywhere at any time. Causes of bullying include feelings of insecurity or lack of control in the bullies’ lives, responses to stress and anxiety, and anger from others who have bullied them in the past. ((I have included pleasure just because some bullies are this way just for the fun of being in control )) Although bullying can take place in any grade, the most susceptible are fourth through eighth grade students; ninety percent ((90%)) of these students have reported to be a victim of bullying."
When most people hear about kids bullying other kids, they think the bullying is happening face-to-face. ((This is rarely happening this day and age by the way)) .42 While this kind of bullying still exists today, new technology, such as computers and cell phones, has created a new form of bullying—cyber bullying. Because “bullies continue to find ways to manipulate these technologies for the destructive purpose of harming others,” the Texas legislature has to continuously make changes to state law.44 Given the nature of cyber bullying, issues have emerged when students are using their own personal devices as opposed to devices owned by the school district to engage in cyber bullying.45 In addition, cyber bullying has raised another issue resulting in conflicting court decisions because some anti-bullying laws regulate students’ conduct that takes place off school grounds e ((This means that the law really only addresses bullying off campus and that your school is held responsible for all on site bullying incidents, which are commonly handled poorly)) .46 The United States Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a punishment against a student who called school officials “douche bags” online from her home computer.47 The Second Circuit later noted “the ‘Supreme Court has yet to speak on the scope of a school’s authority to regulate expression that . . . does not occur on school grounds or at a school-sponsored event. ((This, of course is due to the new nature of this type of "freedom of speech" )) 48 Another issue is whether searching students’ internet records (at school) is an illegal search and seizure protected under the Fourth Amendment.49 However, as legal precedent has allowed searches of students’ desks and lockers, the likely outcome would be that searches of students’ internet records at school would not violate the Fourth Amendment, especially if the school has “reason to suspect content that either (a) is illegal or (b) may provide evidence of activities that are illegal or violate school rules.”50 ((THIS MY FELLOW PARENTS IS WHERE YOU CAN HELP. This is where we make sure that we are developing a child's confidence to ask questions any time about anything without fear of humiliation or understanding. The rule in my house is that you are allowed to question everything {even ME}. This is advice that I have passed to several parents in my Martial Arts Program with great success and this has given my children empowerment they need to question others behavior as well including their peers who take part in bullying. Overall, we don't bully our kids and they don't bully others. This of course is one small example of parents helping their children contribute to stomping out this problem at the front door and is NOT the only contribution parents can make to this pestilence of a problem. ))
I would love to hear your feedback on this as we travel through this law. Tune in next week when we will discuss SENATE BILL 242 written by Senator Wendy Davis in addressing the Texas legislature attempt to keep up with the rapid changes facing bullying in schools.
As always
"Be the Change you Want to See"
Peace
Coach J
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