Bullying and Social Media

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Benny The Jet's avatar

Benny The Jet

Senior Member

2,987 posts
Mar 4, 2013 8:16 PM
In the school district I work in we're having a big problem with bullying online. We had a board meeting about it and the parents are up in arms at the fact that the teachers and admin aren't doing anything about it. I can see where they're coming from since its stemming from one student to another, but as a teacher I feel it should be the parents job to monitor it if its happening at home. What's your thoughts?
Mar 4, 2013 8:16pm
G

gut

Senior Member

15,058 posts
Mar 4, 2013 8:30 PM
I'm not sure how - or why - teachers would be responsible for what kids do away from school.

Even parents could suspend their kid's access, but that wouldn't prevent them from using a friend's computer.
Mar 4, 2013 8:30pm
Mulva's avatar

Mulva

Senior Member

13,650 posts
Mar 4, 2013 8:35 PM
I don't think teachers/schools have any business (let alone responsibility) to regulate what students do outside of school hours and property.
Mar 4, 2013 8:35pm
ernest_t_bass's avatar

ernest_t_bass

12th Son of the Lama

24,984 posts
Mar 4, 2013 8:36 PM
Mulva;1400116 wrote:I don't think teachers/schools have any business (let alone responsibility) to regulate what students do outside of school hours and property.

Unless it disrupts the educational process.
Mar 4, 2013 8:36pm
Mulva's avatar

Mulva

Senior Member

13,650 posts
Mar 4, 2013 8:39 PM
ernest_t_bass;1400117 wrote:Unless it disrupts the educational process.
A little confused. Example?
Mar 4, 2013 8:39pm
hasbeen's avatar

hasbeen

Excuse me, Flo?

6,504 posts
Mar 4, 2013 8:40 PM
Maybe if all 8th graders didn't have an iPhone it would be less likely they're on social media during school.

Teachers/Administrators can not and should be asked to monitor the personal devices parents provide for their children.
Mar 4, 2013 8:40pm
G

gut

Senior Member

15,058 posts
Mar 4, 2013 8:54 PM
hasbeen;1400122 wrote: Teachers/Administrators can not and should be asked to monitor the personal devices parents provide for their children.
Agreed, but I don't think any of us are actually addressing the question in the OP.

More simply, when bullying between students (regardless of when/where) is brought to the attention of the school, what obligations should the school have? I don't think the school has to monitor what happens outside its walls/activities, but when evidence is presented should that kid be, say, suspended?

If you want to draw examples from the workplace, if I say or do something to a colleague outside of work I can lose my job due to a variety of conduct reasons.
Mar 4, 2013 8:54pm
F

fan_from_texas

Senior Member

2,693 posts
Mar 4, 2013 8:59 PM
What do the parents want the school to do? There are some constitutional limits to what can be done on 1st A. issues off school ground.
Mar 4, 2013 8:59pm
S

Sonofanump

Mar 4, 2013 9:03 PM
The biggest problem with schools is the parents of the children.
Mar 4, 2013 9:03pm
C

Con_Alma

Senior Member

12,198 posts
Mar 4, 2013 9:04 PM
How does "social media" come into play? If this occurred outside of school, face to face without social media being a part does the school have any responsibility to act?
Mar 4, 2013 9:04pm
C

Con_Alma

Senior Member

12,198 posts
Mar 4, 2013 9:06 PM
Sonofanump;1400140 wrote:The biggest problem with schools is the parents of the children.
Public schools are an enormous entitlement that brings out the ultimate entitlement personas of many parents.
Mar 4, 2013 9:06pm
Rotinaj's avatar

Rotinaj

Senior Member

7,699 posts
Mar 4, 2013 9:09 PM
Sonofanump;1400140 wrote:The biggest problem with schools is the parents of the children.
This is a great point. A lot of the parents are either oblivious or just don't care.
Mar 4, 2013 9:09pm
G

gut

Senior Member

15,058 posts
Mar 4, 2013 9:10 PM
Con_Alma;1400141 wrote:How does "social media" come into play? If this occurred outside of school, face to face without social media being a part does the school have any responsibility to act?
Good point. Becomes an issue for law enforcement. And along those lines, I'm pretty sure cases centering around social media have made the same argument.

Really good point, actually. I don't think I see a real distinction - outside of school property it's not their problem. Although I certainly see things evolving to violations of a code of conduct, similar to the workplace. The distinction then becomes you have actual proof of the violation.
Mar 4, 2013 9:10pm
G

gut

Senior Member

15,058 posts
Mar 4, 2013 9:12 PM
Rotinaj;1400146 wrote:This is a great point. A lot of the parents are either oblivious or just don't care.
That, or they'd rather have someone else take on the tougher parts of parenting (that's partly where sex ed comes from, because parents didn't want to have those awkward conversations).
Mar 4, 2013 9:12pm
C

Con_Alma

Senior Member

12,198 posts
Mar 4, 2013 9:14 PM
gut;1400151 wrote:That, or they'd rather have someone else take on the tougher parts of parenting (that's partly where sex ed comes from, because parents didn't want to have those awkward conversations).
That's really sad.
Mar 4, 2013 9:14pm
hasbeen's avatar

hasbeen

Excuse me, Flo?

6,504 posts
Mar 4, 2013 9:16 PM
gut;1400132 wrote: don't think the school has to monitor what happens outside its walls/activities, but when evidence is presented should that kid be, say, suspended?

Suspending does very little for the educational process
Mar 4, 2013 9:16pm
G

gut

Senior Member

15,058 posts
Mar 4, 2013 9:17 PM
Con_Alma;1400152 wrote:That's really sad.
Well, we live in nanny state. Seems maybe the state should actually provide nannies!
Mar 4, 2013 9:17pm
G

gut

Senior Member

15,058 posts
Mar 4, 2013 9:17 PM
hasbeen;1400154 wrote:Suspending does very little for the educational process
Not an educational issue it's a disciplinary, perhaps a safety, issue. I'm not sure there's much argument that removing a disruptive kid benefits the educational process for the rest.
Mar 4, 2013 9:17pm
C

Con_Alma

Senior Member

12,198 posts
Mar 4, 2013 9:18 PM
gut;1400155 wrote:Well, we live in nanny state. Seems maybe the state should actually provide nannies!
Sounds like they are....schools!!! Maybe we should make it year around. ;)
Mar 4, 2013 9:18pm
G

gut

Senior Member

15,058 posts
Mar 4, 2013 9:20 PM
Con_Alma;1400157 wrote:Sounds like they are....schools!!! Maybe we should make it year around. ;)
I might be on to something here....Gubmit provided nannies could create like 30M jobs!
Mar 4, 2013 9:20pm
C

Con_Alma

Senior Member

12,198 posts
Mar 4, 2013 9:21 PM
gut;1400158 wrote:I might be on to something here....Gubmit provided nannies could create like 30M jobs!
Just print more money to cover the costs!!!
Mar 4, 2013 9:21pm
G

gut

Senior Member

15,058 posts
Mar 4, 2013 9:26 PM
Con_Alma;1400160 wrote:Just print more money to cover the costs!!!
Yeah, but imagine the bitching when you get a crack whore for a nanny. Some people are just never satisfied.
Mar 4, 2013 9:26pm
C

Con_Alma

Senior Member

12,198 posts
Mar 4, 2013 9:29 PM
Lol....are you sure their aren't any now?
Mar 4, 2013 9:29pm
ernest_t_bass's avatar

ernest_t_bass

12th Son of the Lama

24,984 posts
Mar 4, 2013 9:35 PM
ccrunner609;1400167 wrote:as a teacher and a parent that just went through the bullying of my daughter........most parents are clueless until little marie or Johny come home crying and then they expect everyone to bow down to them. Sad.

What happened?
Mar 4, 2013 9:35pm
Benny The Jet's avatar

Benny The Jet

Senior Member

2,987 posts
Mar 4, 2013 9:47 PM
Here's one of the examples from our situation. Kid A who is typically a good student and gets good grades starts doing poorly in school and moping around school. Parents meet with teacher and tell them Kid A is being bullied online by Kid B who goes to school with them. Kid B just ignores Kid A at school but is messing with him online. Parents think school needs to step in because they're both students at the school and it's hurting Kid A's grades.
Mar 4, 2013 9:47pm