Combating Cyberbullying and Sexting

Cyberbullying and sexting are increasingly common at public K-12 schools, and they can have tragic consequences.

Most cyberbullying and sexting occurs away from school on students’ personal electronic devices. However, when these activities spill into school and negatively affect the educational environment, the duty to protect students from harm often requires administrators to step in.

Learn how to:

• Take corrective measures.
• Reinforce with parents and students the risks of cyberbullying and sexting.
• Encourage students to report problems.

• Research shows students who are cyberbullied are likelier than other children to experience emotional distress, feel unsafe at school, receive detention or suspension, and be absent.
• Sexting is becoming disturbingly widespread among teenagers and even pre-teens.
• While K-12 schools must act “in the place of a parent” and have a duty to protect minors from being harmed at school, they must respect students’ federal constitutional rights, particularly their First Amendment free speech rights.