By: Eli Bolus

Bullying, and more specifically cyberbullying, has gotten a lot of media publicity lately.  Stories have been written and news programs like Fox News have done video specials.  However, cyberbullying is still a rather new concept, and school systems are still trying to keep up.

Principal Janie Whaley said the first time she heard the term “cyberbullying” was only three or four years ago, and with the rise of technology and social media it has become more of a problem within schools.

The only set guidelines against cyberbullying are those that fall under the basic anti-bullying rules the school has. Assistant principal Rob Willman said that the district only defines what “cyber harassment” is.  The same is true for state law, as Indiana Code defines harassment and obscene messages as “ [someone who] uses a computer network or other form of electronic communication to:
(A) communicate with a person; or
(B) transmit an obscene message or indecent or profane words to a person.”

Whaley said the main task is determining if the cyberbullying is an issue within the school day and “nine out of 10 times it is.”

Willman said students are sometimes reluctant to bring in evidence of cyberbullying because of the exchange that goes on between both parties.  If it is clear that both parties were harassing or insulting the other, then it is a conflict and not an act of bullying and must be dealt with differently.

Willman said the key is for students to be comfortable to come forward and to trust the staff enough to tell them when this happens.  Whaley said cyberbullying will continue to be a problem with more and more kids getting phones with internet access.