THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF LEGAL JOBS ON EARTH

LawCrossing
Legal Daily News Feature

Cyberbullying and Suicides: 5 States Want New Laws

by Surajit Sen Sharma New York, Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, and Maine are among a growing list of states who want to put more comprehensive measures in place to combat cyberbullying. Growing concerns over a recent spate of suicides from cyberbullying in the digital age have made lawmakers sit up and take note that new laws conforming to the new realities are sorely needed. The recent incident of a Rutgers student committing suicide has also spurred concerns over cyberbullying.

03/20/12 New York State Senator, Jeffrey Klein, who is sponsoring a bill to criminalize cyberbullying had told the media recently, that the efforts were for bringing our laws into the digital age and the 21st century. Klein wants a law where anyone using digital technology to stalk and harass another person would face a felony or misdemeanor charge carrying prison sentences. Incidentally, North Carolina has already passed such a law in 2009, where cyberbullying on youths under 18 is a misdemeanor. Klein further added, When I was growing up, you had a tangible bully and a fight after school. Now you have hordes of bullies who are terrorizing over the internet or other forms of social media. While, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, forty eight states already have antibullying laws, the recent measures are required to reinforce those laws and add well-defined consequences to the use of digital technology, in absence of, or coordinated with physical advances, to stalk or bully a person or intimidate or harass in any form deemed legally improper.

At least, in Maine and Indiana, the proposed bills require more responsibility and authority given to schools, enable them to penalize students for off-campus bullying, and require them to form comprehensive policies to address cyberbullying. In contrast, such laws already in place in five states including Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Georgia and Illinois currently restrict the jurisdiction of schools only to impermissible activities using school computers or facilities. However, opponents of the laws have expressed that the proposed laws are too vague and counterproductive. Experts also hold that there are possibilities of such laws hampering freedom of speech, especially when the activities alleged against happen from personal computers or computers that are not part of school facilities. Some law students organizations, including the Student Press Law Center of Arlington have protested the bills. Frank LoMonte, executive director of the SPLC told the media that the principles behind the bills have poor merit. He said, Youre not going to be able to punish people into being more tolerant.

PAGE 

www.lawcrossing.com