Facebook And Time Warner Teaming Up To Fight Bullies, States Pass Anti-Bullying Laws

Facebook and Time Warner announced today that they will partner to fight cyberbullying, a problem that has plagued both children and adults.

The coalition aims to raise awareness about cyberbullying and encourages people to report the issues when they come across them, the Associated Press reports.

The campaign, "Stop Bullying: Speak Up," will target audiences on the web, TV, radio and across several domestic magazines. Facebook reportedly plans to reveal an application in time for back-to-school that promotes users' pledge to stop bullies.

This report comes just in time as Gov. Jerry Brown (D-Calif.) signed into law a bill that allows schools to suspend students for bullying their peers on social networking sites like Facebook.

The new law is an update from the previous regulation that authorizes schools to suspend or expel students for cyberbullying, specified as over the Internet or other electronic means -- via cell phones, computers or websites. But social networking sites were not specifically addressed, Mercury News reports.

Just last month, Rhode Island passed similar legislation, requiring that the state Department of Education design a statewide anti-bullying policy to be enacted by June 2012. From The Providence Journal:

The new policy would prohibit all kinds of bullying in schools including "written, verbal or electronic expression or a physical act or gesture ... directed at a student that causes physical or emotional harm," places a student in a reasonable fear of harm, or creates an intimidating atmosphere.

In recent years, cyberbullying among students has led to many tragedies and lawsuits. Last January, 15-year-old Phoebe Prince hanged herself after being relentlessly bullied, in person and on Facebook.

One of her bullies, recently released from Juvenile Court, spoke out on the Today Show last week.

Comments

[Woody Nelson]

09:22 PM on 07/14/2011

The page being used as bait to scam tornado victims is the following please report it as the page owner is victimizing tornado and storm victims. Please help us stop this idiot and get him and his bogus page removed from Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PrayfortheTornadoVictimsofApril2011

[afnfan]

07:57 PM on 07/13/2011

Can we stop giving this social media networking website free advertisement. If someone is bulling, the victim can do the following, block the person, report it, or just leave the site all other together.

[BetheFearless1]

12:21 AM on 08/18/2011

Unfortunately, the victim will be followed. Bullies don't give up. The situation can escalates very fast and will be taken offline. Please read up a little more before you make such cavalier statements. If you have children, I recommend looking for an article regarding "how to tell if your kid IS a bully."

[Ty2010]

09:56 PM on 07/12/2011

"or creates an intimidating atmosphere" This mean the first up for prosecution are police and educators?

[raiserSword]

07:09 PM on 07/12/2011

You can't cover bullying with a blanket statement. Each case of bullying is unique, and must be handled uniquely by qualified personnel. Teachers, guidance counselors, and school authorities must become more involved in these matters. Finally, parents need to sit with their kids and explain why bullying is wrong, and can damage other people. No matter what laws are passed, kids and teens are still going to fight each other and be mean with each other. The only way that can change is if we teach them to be human beings.

[carmenalex]

03:12 PM on 07/12/2011

Suspending someone (i.e. giving them a vacation from school) will not work at all. Make them STAY in school and do some heavy work. That'll make 'em think twice.

[Ty2010]

09:57 PM on 07/12/2011

That's called an in school suspension.

[Judge Tom]

02:57 PM on 07/12/2011

The only book written for teens to read & learn from the experiences of their peers is "Teen Cyberbullying Investigated." Endorsed by Dr. Phil, TCI presents real cases of teens in trouble over their emails, blogs, Facebook & YouTube posts. Civil & criminal sanctions have been imposed and a few cases have led to the victim's suicide. Together, we can fight all forms of bullying including cyberbullying.
Respectfully, -Judge Tom.

[Ty2010]

10:01 PM on 07/12/2011

A lot of that is response to physical bullying, which happens even with the presence of cameras and educators relatively undetected.