Remember when driving drunk
was a minor offense? It was legal to
harass someone? Moon someone?? There is no doubt that while many new laws
have made our lives safer and more civilized, there are many people who think
that the rush to legislate personal decisions (like helmet and seat belt laws)
curtails our rights and should be left up to the individual. Others think that clearer laws are necessary
to keep up with the times.
Recent headlines have turned
this debate towards bullying, specifically cyberbullying. This is a great opportunity to turn the
question over to your students to help them develop respect for different
points of view, think critically and speak and write persuasively. This week Dharun Ravi was sentenced to 30
days in jail for webcam spying on his college roommate who killed himself in
the aftermath. There are many different
perspectives on the outcome of this trial, and many thought that the charges
did not fit the crime.
Should more laws be written to deal specifically
with cyberbullying? Viewpoints range from “not every tragedy
should lead to prison” to “privacy invasions last forever.”Why not have your
students examine these different perspectives – legal, psychological, cultural-
as they apply to bullying? Room for Debate is a discussion forum of
the New York Times that can provide your students with great written essays
from knowledgeable professionals reflecting these perspectives and more on Cyberbullying and a Student Suicide.
Should offensive opinions and hurtful statements be
protected by the First Amendment? How about having students look at bullying through the
lens of the First Amendment? How do you
distinguish between free speech and bullying? Where is the line between free
speech and harassment? Do state bullying mandates leave any wiggle room for
common sense? This Edweek article “Groups Urge Balance Between Censoring,
Stopping Bullies” can provide
students with highlights of the recently published guidelines “Harassment, Bullying and Free Expression: Guidelines
for Free and Safe Public Schools."
What do
you think should be done about bullying?
How
about having your students look at different student perspectives? Common Sense Media provides the lesson “Taking Perspectives on Cyberbullying”
featuring video clips of the Friday Night
Lights TV show, providing a lesson plan complete with student worksheets
and video clips. (caution:
may only be appropriate for older students due to clip content)
You
can have students practice civil discourse on these issues practicing good
digital citizenship using the SCAN tool at TregoED. Just register and set up the free cyberbullying
lesson for the private URL for your class.
Students will read the cyberbullying scenario and discuss the issues and
possible solutions guided by the SCAN problem solving strategy (See the issues,
clarify the issues, Ask what’s important and Now, what should be done?) from
the built in different points of view.
SCAN is a great way to teach students civil discourse and empathy as
they represent the point of view of parents, teachers, administrators and
bullied student and collaborate on solutions.
The
question remains, do we need to use the criminal justice system to battle
cyberbullying or would teaching civility and respect be a more effective
solution? Either way, discussing the
question can help students practice those attributes, while they learn to think
critically, read and write on this relevant and authentic topic.
