Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Cyberbullying - New law in California

Here is an article about the New California's Cyberbullying Law, AB 919 which Creates new "cyberbullying" penalties.

CA Enacts Laws Against Cyber Bullying KCBS - CA,USA - The new law will allow the state's public schools, as of January first, to suspend or expel students who are cyberbullies. ...A Pew Research Center study has found that about a third of teenagers say they have been annoyed or harassed online.

This brings California's grade up to a B+

California is now joining several other states who have recently enacted a cyberbullying, or electronic harassment clause inside anti bullying laws. Some of those states are Florida (A++ rating), Kentucky (A++ rating), Delaware (A++ rating) and Maryland (A++ rating). Others may have added a cyberbullying clause but I've not become aware of them yet. I know several states are talking about adding a cyberbullying clause to their laws.

The Case that Makes the Case for a Cyberbullying Law
One state, Missouri, may be taking action toward's a cyberbullying law this year because of the trial of Lori Drew. Apparently Drew actively conspired with two others in creating and maintaining a MySpace profile for a nonexistent 16-year-old boy named "Josh Evans" in September 2006. The Evans account was used by multiple people to flirt with, befriend and ultimately reject 13-year-old Megan Meier, who'd had a falling-out with Drew's daughter.
One of the users of the account, Ms. Grills, a then-18-year-old woman employed by Drew and her husband, has admitted to sending a final, cruel message to Meier while posing as Evans: "The world would be a better place without you. Have a shitty rest of your life." Meier then hanged herself in her bedroom.

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