What Does a Cyberbullying Policy for a College Look like?
/Both in-person and cyberbullying can happen to people of all ages in any situation or on any platform online. For students at the college and university level, rules about cyberbullying become more involved with the legal system rather than just school-based rule breaking. Still, a college should have a cyberbullying policy in place to define what constitutes the activity, how to report and handle it, and the consequences for the person at fault.
The Definition of Cyberbullying in College
The U.S. government authority on bullying defines it as a set of behaviors against school-aged children specifically. While some minors attend college, most of the students who live or go to classes on campus or through a connected digital platform are legal adults. A specific college's policy needs a clear definition of the problem within the bounds of their authority.
Cyberbullying in general involves:
Any communication designed to intimidate, humiliate, or attack another person.
Posting or sharing of negative, harmful, and false information.
Sharing private information without permission and intent to harm
Catfishing or masquerading as the individual and posting harmful content
In the cyberbullying policy for a college or university, the definition needs to be spelled out clearly. Some things are disciplinary matters for the school while other activities are against the law and could be handled by the police force or outside investigators. For example, stalking and sexual harassment are illegal in most places.
Guidelines to Respond to Cyberbullying
College administrations must respond to cyberbullying accusations as quickly and forcefully as possible. The policy must outline specific instructions for the student to follow if they are a victim of online harassment, stalking, or any other activities that define bullying behavior. It should include contact information for groups or administrators on campus and off-campus who are equipped to help.
Since these potentially illegal activities are done to adults at the college level, a written policy should also include guidance for contacting outside authorities and online resources. Some of the most helpful content can go over how to block people online and who to report to on the most popular social media platforms.
Policies Should Include Real Consequences
A cyberbullying policy at a college must outline the consequences to the person found guilty of the nefarious activities. These may include loss of privileges, expulsion, and even legal recourse. If your college or university attempts to downplay the severity of online harassment or ongoing issues, do not hesitate to contact outside authorities for help. The best college policies include ways to differentiate between a school letter and a police matter, too.
In order to protect students as much as possible, a college or university's cyberbullying policy should also indicate when activities step over the line into lawbreaking. Adult students must understand that they have very real recourse when it comes to the worst cyberbullying activities. The college itself should assist with these cases.
