Rinebarger 1
Cyber Bullying: America’s Digital Age Bullying A Research Proposal
Angelica Rinebarger
English 102 - Section 10655 Professor Gryder July 27, 2012
Rinebarger 2 Cyber Bullying America’s Digital Age Bullying According to the National Crime Prevention Counsel, 43 percent of teens and young adults have been victims of cyber bullying, but many are too embarrassed or ashamed to report the incidents to their parents or other authorities (King). Another study by iSafe found 52 percent of high school students said they themselves had been cyber bullied, while the same percentage said they had cyber bullied others (Riedel). It is plain to see by these statistics alone cyber bullying is a serious issue facing America’s adolescents. My research question will focus on whether cyber bullying should be a criminal, punishable offense in the United States. My thesis supports will address the current legislature regarding cyber bullying and that both schools and parents play an important role in preventing incidents. Through my research I hope to explain how much cyber bullying affects children both inside and outside of the classroom and what can be done to help. The benefits of this paper will be I will address the significance of the problem and hopefully encourage others to do something about it. Through this research I am hoping to further my knowledge on the issue and better my understanding before I complete my degree to be an elementary school teacher. Knowing indepth about this issue will help me in my future profession by making me a knowledgeable consultant to students, parents, teachers, and administrators. Cyber bullying is not something that will go away very easily and prevention comes from both those at home and school. Parents, teachers, and administrators are my intended audience for my proposal essay because they are the ones that can educate children and young adults of the proper ways to behave online and can
Rinebarger 3 discipline accordingly. If both parents and teachers became involved in preventing and punishing cyber bullying, the problem may decrease substantially. Review of Sources
All of my sources come from the Academic OneFile database. I found this database had an abundance of articles and journals about cyber bullying and I found all I needed by searching their site. I chose not to use any general websites because not all of them are as trustworthy as online databases. All of my sources are very current because cyber bullying is a very current issue. I made sure all of my articles were “full text”, even though a few are brief articles. Most of my sources discuss past case studies regarding cyber bullying and how the court has ruled on different cases. The case studies used are all very useful in supporting their viewpoints on ending cyber bullying Almost all of my sources have outlines at the very beginning of the article, which makes it much easier for me, as a reader, to find the information I am looking for and not be dragged into political and law language. One of the more interesting articles I found was “Constitutionality of cyber bullying laws: keeping the online playground safe for both teens and free speech” by Alison Virginia King. This article has really good information on the need for more cyber bullying legislation and both enacted and proposed cyber bullying legislation. King also talks about the potential first amendment challenges to cyber bullying laws and how free speech plays into the legislation. There are multiple court cases given as well as constitutional solutions to address cyber bullying. I found this article the most valid because she gave constitutional solutions instead of just addressing the problem.
Rinebarger 4 “The fight against cyber bullying: as tales of online cruelty mount, districts are trying a mix of prevention and punishment, incorporating internet safety into curriculum and tightening student conduct codes” by Chris Riedel is another article I found in the Academic OneFile database. I chose to use this article mainly because of the multiple statistics about cyber bullying that are given. Riedel also mentions how different schools are taking on the issue of cyber bullying by teaching internet safety and creating new codes of conduct. Even though it is a short article, I found it very had an abundance of information I could use for my essay. Since all of my articles agree cyber bullying is a problem that needs to be addressed, I did not find any opposing viewpoints. Although, since my thesis is “Should cyber bullying be a criminal, punishable crime in the U.S.?”, I did find one article on the Academic OneFile database that proposed schools could use cyber bullying as a teachable moment. In the article, “OMG! Missing the teachable moment and undermining the future of the First Amendment - TISNF!” by Mary Sue Backus, she addresses the dangers of unrestrained student speech as well as the school’s authority to limit student speech. Backus also states current responses of cyber bullying are “misguided” and “ineffective”. Backus’ viewpoints on schools being keepers of democracy helped me see more on what schools could be doing about cyber bullying compared to what the government could be doing. A Plan to Collect Information
I found a really helpful amount of information and sources for my essay. Some of the articles are a bit confusing at times, due to law language, so I still need to review them a little more to make sure I fully understand and comprehend exactly what I am reading. Other than
Rinebarger 5 that, my paper is in good shape and I have already started to brainstorm ideas and begun to write bits and pieces of the introduction. Overview of Challenges
As stated before, the law language in some of my articles is a bit challenging at times so I need to read them again and again to fully understand. I think the hardest part will be understanding the terms most of the authors use in their articles and trying to transfer the same information in my own words. Conclusion
I am hoping by the end of my paper, my readers will be more knowledgeable on the subject of cyber bullying and just how big of an issue it is for children and young adults today. Cyber bullying is trend that can grow to be much, much worse if it’s not stopped in its tracks immediately. The short and long-term effects will hopefully persuade my readers to act now to prevent cyber bullying from going any further than it has. America’s children deserve to have this problem addressed by both schools and the government otherwise the problem could get much bigger. I hope my paper will persuade my audience and they will respond in way that will create a change.
Rinebarger 6 Works Cited Backus, Mary Sue. "OMG! Missing the teachable moment and undermining the future of the First Amendment - TISNF!" Case Western Reserve Law Review Fall 2009: 153+. Academic OneFile.
Web. 27 July 2012.
Currie, Donya. "HHS launches new anti-bullying website." The Nation's Health May-June 2011: 9. Academic OneFile. Web. 27 July 2012. King, Alison Virginia. "Constitutionality of cyberbullying laws: keeping the online playground safe for both teens and free speech." Vanderbilt Law Review Apr. 2010: 845+. Academic OneFile.
Web. 27 July 2012.
Lane, Darcy K. "Taking the lead on cyberbullying: why schools can and should protect students online." Iowa Law Review July 2011: 1791+. Academic OneFile. Web. 27 July 2012. Meredith, Jessica P. "Combating cyberbullying: emphasizing educ ation over criminalization." Dec. Federal Communications Law Journal Dec.
2010: 311+. Academic OneFile. Web. 27
July 2012. Nuccitelli, Michael. "2012 cyber bullying tactics: an introduction." The Forensic Examiner Summer 2012: 20+. Academic OneFile. Web. 27 July 2012. Riedel, Chris. "The fight against cyberbullying: as tales of online cruelty mount, districts are trying a mix of prevention and punishment, incorporating internet safety into curriculum and tightening student conduct codes." T H E Journal [Technological [Technological Horizons In Education] May 2008: 20+. Academic OneFile. Web. 27 July 2012.
