How Is It Cyberbullying When Students Are Exposing Teacher Abuses?

from the trying-to-understand... dept

Wed, Dec 31st 2008 2:33pm — Mike Masnick

Over in the Czech Republic, the education ministry has drawn up "guidelines" for how schools can deal with "cyberbullies" and just like other recent stories, it's the teachers who are afraid of being bullied more than other students. But, as you read the details, it sounds that what the teachers define as "cyberbullying" is actually something more like "students exposing teacher abuses." We've seen this before. A school district in the US punished students for recording a teacher's outburst, and in another case, a student was suspended for filming the principal smoking on school grounds -- against regulations. In this case, the rules against cyberbullying came after students uploaded a video of a teacher hitting a kid. It's difficult to see how that's cyberbullying at all. It sounds like the students were effectively exposing a teacher abusing his position. Yet, the response, again, is to figure out a way to blame the kids and make it more difficult for them to expose teachers acting badly.

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Filed Under: cyberbullying, czech republic, teachers

11 Comments

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Cipher-0, 31 Dec 2008 @ 2:58pm

A cyber-bully...
... is apparently someone you don't like posting on the internet about someone you do like.
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- Anonymous Coward, 31 Dec 2008 @ 3:51pm
  
  Re: A cyber-bully...
  well shit, I guess we're all cyber-bully. we need to fix this major problem!
  
  I think we should form Cyber-Bullies Anonymous (CBA)
  
  "Hello, my name is joe shmoe and I'm.... a Cyber-Bully..."
  
  "Hello Joe."
  
  "it all started when my teacher hit me...."
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  - Anonymous Coward, 2 Jan 2009 @ 1:52pm
    
    Re: Re: A cyber-bully...
    Maybe the kid needed a good smack. ;)
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- Rick, 31 Dec 2008 @ 5:13pm
  
  Re: A cyber-bully...
  Reminds me of how the defintion of spam has become 'anything I don't want in my email box even if I asked for it.'
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  - Anonymous Coward, 1 Jan 2009 @ 2:13pm
    
    Re: Re: A cyber-bully...
    Reminds me of how the defintion [sic] of spam has become 'anything I don't want in my email box even if I asked for it.'
    Except, it hasn't.
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    - Travis, 2 Jan 2009 @ 11:53am
      
      Re: Re: Re: A cyber-bully...
      How dare you point out his spelling error. I am suing you for cyber bullying.
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Amomynus, 31 Dec 2008 @ 4:49pm

It's possible
While I agree with all that the given examples do not constitute bullying, it's not beyond imagination that an unpopular teacher might become the target of online intimidation.

But filming or recording abuses shouldn't be punished.

BUT but(?) Isn't this just one more instance of the surveillance society, where everything we do/say is subject to filming/recording and we have no privacy? I'm not a fan of Total Information Awareness regardless of who is doing the "Awaring."
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Jan 2009 @ 6:21am

We need a camera in every class room and every hall way and in on the school grounds. Combined with solid viewing authority and good rule would protect teachers and students.

Now a days a 'story' from a student can kill a teacher's career. Just as easily as an abusive teacher and dominate and threaten the students. Case in point: I teacher friend of mine started work a new school on the first day two female student came up to and said they would do as they say or they would tell their parents/principle that he had touch them inappropriately - he was smart and went to the office tried to resolve the issue (when the school refused to take any action to protect him he quite by the end of the first day).

Digital recording of video is now easy to do and easy to store. Just need a good code of conduct for viewing the recordings.
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Anthony, 4 Jan 2009 @ 11:32am

While cyberbullying is becoming an issue that we're all becoming more aware of, legislation and rules need to be well thought out. Obviously people will try to distort and bend the rules...so they'll have to be continually refined to continue to have effect in positive ways.
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alate, 6 Jan 2009 @ 7:02am

Hmmm, well, I am afraid, this is not the case. There are some serious problems with kids who record bullying their schoolmates on mobile phones, exposing victims of such behavior to more and more humiliation. Just try to look up some Czech Youtube teenage school postings.
You may say, the bullies will also post evidence of their acting, but still, there is no real punishment for grad school kids.
As to teachers - it can be very misleading to record things ripped out from the context, that is one of the most used manipulation technique.
I believe this law is not to hide unlawful teacher´s behavior...
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Anonymous Coward, 17 Aug 2009 @ 2:31pm

Cyberbullying is becoming an important issue. We need to take notice-And immediate action so that it won't happen to others. I am a teen writer at RadicalParenting.com which is a parenting blog from the kid's perspective there are 60 teen and tween writers run by teen author, Vanessa Van Petten. We just posted a video of cyberbullying here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lehDOuhpYRE

and would love for you to check it out and tell us what you think or repost if you like it,

Cheers, thanks for checking it out!

Gokce and the Teen Team
http://radicalparenting.com
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