Contact: saferschools@yahoo.com
10/24/2012 05:36 PM
New law protects teachers from cyberbullying
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GREENSBORO -- Students who like to trash talk teachers online could be in for more than just a slap on the wrist. A new North Carolina law that goes into effect Dec. 1, will make it illegal for students to cyberbully their teachers.
It's the first law of its kind in the country.
"People take what's online at face value and think that, wow, this is the truth, this is the gospel, and that's the problem," Gregg Slate, Guilford County School Safety Administrator said.
It's called the School Violence Prevention Act of 2012. Any student who uses a computer with the intent to intimidate or torment a school employee could be charged with a class two misdemeanor.
But it doesn't stop there. If found guilty, they could face a $1,000 fine and possible jail time.
Sen. Stan Bingham, who co-sponsored the law, said the idea isn't to throw students behind bars, but to make them realize there are consequences for their actions.
"It could totally destroy their future, their career and their desire or interest to teach," Bingham said.
"Basically protects every employee on the school level from students creating false names or false Facebook or Twitter posts and defaming and ruining the teacher's career and bullying them," Slate said.
While school officials support this law as a bullying deterrent, the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina opposed the legislation.
"We think it will probably end up violating student's First Amendment rights or at the very least chilling their speech because they'll be afraid of the criminal sanctions," ACLU policy director Sarah Preston said.
"We know freedom of spech does not stop at the school house gate," Slate said. "But we also know that if it impacts the educational environment and it's detrimental to the success of students in that classroom, then we really need to act."NC House Bill 1078 & Senate Bill 707: great improvement, yet...
From
listening to students, parents, educators and law enforcement personnel needs, Safer
Schools Team members have sought legislation inclusion of the following three
requests to proactively safeguard students, school
personnel, & SROs.
Safer Schools' three requests seriously are
addressed with accountability in some NC school systems.
Why not in GCS?
Why not in all NC school
systems?
Safer Schools' Requests made to NC Legislators & NCAE/NCRSP
(NC Association of Educators)/
(NC Retired School
Personnel):
1) Include oral
and written threats of violence in the School Law Enforcement Report Form and
publicly report this information on the monthly school board
agenda.
2) Institute a
Violence Risk Threat Assessment, a process in which school
administrator, law enforcement, mental health counselor, &
teacher(s)/employee(s) involved TOGETHER investigate,
examine, evaluate and report the threat.
3) Enact
PROACTIVE legislation similar to VA Code 18.2-60: VA Teacher Association
and VA legislators passed AFTER the VA Tech massacre: at school or school
activities, oral threats of bodily harm are a Misdemeanor 1; written threats of
bodily harm are a Felony 6
NC House Bill 1078: ensures that acts of
violence at school or school activities are reported to law enforcement and to
school superintendent: signed fall, 2009
NC HB 1078 is a beginning. It governs Principals to
report to Law Enforcement, but it isn’t clear on the “immediately” part. It is
re-active, not pro-active. It does not address written or verbal threats of
violence, threats of bodily harm or death.
NC Senate Bill 707: signed 7-2012; adds improvement to HB 1078; does not include Safer Schools' above three requests
What is the reasoning and in whose best interest is it to avoid/omit accountability of Safer Schools' above three requests?
Video- Bullycide in America » Book Video Creation | Book Trailers
Boy gets $50000 grant to stop bullying - ABC Action News
One in four children will be bullied this year, which equates to more than 18 million kids. ... We caught up with Jaylen in his science class.
____________
Illinois: Law Requires Police to Alert Schools of Students Under Investigation
He referred to Gilbert, 55, as "heroic" and
"dedicated."
"She inspired this law and all of us," he said, hugging her after signing House Bill 5602. The law takes effect Jan. 1.
Gilbert stood at Quinn's side as he spoke of the day when Angel Facio, then a 16-year-old sophomore at the school, threw a coat over her head as she was alone in her classroom and repeatedly stabbed her.
The attack caused her to lose sight in her left eye. Facio was convicted of attempted first-degree murder. In a separate trial, he later was found guilty for the aggravated criminal sexual assault of a victim younger than 9 — a case he had been under investigation for at the time Gilbert was attacked. School officials did not know of the investigation because law enforcement at the time was not required to share such information with school officials.
A school would not have learned about a student being under investigation until he or she was detained or arrested in connection with a crime, said John Heiderscheidt, school district safety coordinator for Elgin-based School District U-46.
"Now police can tell schools if a student is under investigation," he said.
_____________
School Resource Officer Program:Bullied Teen Wins $50K Scholarship In Essay Contest | Madame ... |
Illinois: Law Requires Police to Alert Schools of Students Under Investigation
August
28, 2012
Gov. Pat Quinn signed
a law requiring police to alert school officials when a student is under
investigation. (Armando L. Sanchez, Chicago Tribune)
"She inspired this law and all of us," he said, hugging her after signing House Bill 5602. The law takes effect Jan. 1.
Gilbert stood at Quinn's side as he spoke of the day when Angel Facio, then a 16-year-old sophomore at the school, threw a coat over her head as she was alone in her classroom and repeatedly stabbed her.
The attack caused her to lose sight in her left eye. Facio was convicted of attempted first-degree murder. In a separate trial, he later was found guilty for the aggravated criminal sexual assault of a victim younger than 9 — a case he had been under investigation for at the time Gilbert was attacked. School officials did not know of the investigation because law enforcement at the time was not required to share such information with school officials.
A school would not have learned about a student being under investigation until he or she was detained or arrested in connection with a crime, said John Heiderscheidt, school district safety coordinator for Elgin-based School District U-46.
"Now police can tell schools if a student is under investigation," he said.
_____________
In August, Greensboro
In addition to
these logistical issues, parents also should take the remaining days of summer
to prepare their families for a safe school year. Today’s students can face
many challenges that affect their well being. And, to quote Former First Lady
Laura Bush, “Children can’t learn if they’re worried about their safety.”
“The SROs are
hand-selected, specially-trained law enforcement officers who are committed to
your children and their well-being,” said Greensboro Police Sergeant J. Heard
who supervises the School Resource Officer Program. “The SRO can handle
everything from trespassers to bullying to weapons violations and everything in
between,” explained Heard. “It’s not unusually for the SROs to encounter a wide
range of issues from peer pressure, drugs, alcohol, homelessness, school
absenteeism and domestic violence.”
Heard said that one
of the most common issues SROs address each day is bullying. Bullying among
children has been happening for hundreds of years, but only recently been
brought to the forefront of our society’s consciousness. Nationwide tragedies
in schools increased public awareness and scientific research into the
underlying causes of bullying and its long-term damage. Bullying takes several
forms:
·
Verbal – name-calling or teasing
·
Physical violence — includes hitting or punching
·
Emotional – ostracize from a social group or
intimidation
·
Sexual – unwanted advances or touching
And bullying is no
longer limited to school grounds. Cyber-bullying — demeaning or hostile emails,
texts, or social media posts — can reach students anywhere and anytime. Nearly
half of all American teens have been affected by some form of cyber-bullying,
according to The National Crime Prevention Council.
Whether you child
is affected by bullying, substance abuse, or any other school safety issue,
parents may be in the best position to know when something is wrong. Some
indicators of a potential problem include:
*Withdrawing from school activities and/or friends
*Reluctance to ride the bus
*A lack of interest in school work
*Complaints of physical illness or unexplained injuries
*Changes in mood and behavior such as sleeping or eating habits
*Missing some personal belongings
"My advice to parents is to stay involved in your child's educational and social affairs regardless of their age," said Heard. "Stay encouraged when aspects of your child's overall success in school may not mature or develop as quickly as you had anticipated. Lastly, never give up your rights of being a parent to your child."
*Withdrawing from school activities and/or friends
*Reluctance to ride the bus
*A lack of interest in school work
*Complaints of physical illness or unexplained injuries
*Changes in mood and behavior such as sleeping or eating habits
*Missing some personal belongings
"My advice to parents is to stay involved in your child's educational and social affairs regardless of their age," said Heard. "Stay encouraged when aspects of your child's overall success in school may not mature or develop as quickly as you had anticipated. Lastly, never give up your rights of being a parent to your child."
Contributed by Tebony
Vincent, Public Information
Sources: National
Safety Council, www.nsc.org, © 1995-2012,
‘Bath Salts’ Growing Drug Abuse Problem, www.everythingaddiction.com, © 2012
