RICHMOND — Students will receive more protections and support from cyberbullying outside of school in an effort to reduce the growing number of incidents.
Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin, introduced Senate Bill 908, which amends previous legislation and separates the definitions for bullying and cyberbullying.
A cyberbully by definition uses a technology device connected to the internet, according to the bill. Almost 22% of bullied students experience cyberbullying in middle through high school, according to the National Crime Victimization Survey.
The Board of Education will develop model policies to address cyberbullying, for local school boards to follow and implement even outside of school, but within a school division, according to the bill.
Students who are victims of cyberbullying would be provided protections by the school to ensure they are safe to report incidents without fear of retaliation, according to Stanley.
“The results of cyberbullying are pretty devastating because in the study, cyberbullying increases self-harm rates by double,” Stanley said.
Students who report cyberbullying to the school will be provided a list of mental health resources and information for any available support services available, according to the bill.
The support resources are important to students because cyberbullying can lead to self image issues, mental health issues and self harm, according to Stanley.
“No parent should ever have to bury their child, especially at the hands of someone who was bullying them from afar using a phone or a computer,” Stanley said.
Approximately 27% of students reported being cyberbullied within 30 days in 2023, according to the Cyberbullying Research Center. That is an increase from previous years. In 2019, 17% of students reported incidents within the same timeframe. In 2021, that number was 23%.
Stanley’s bill now awaits action from the governor, who has until March 24 to change or veto legislation.
The senator also passed a bill with strong bipartisan support that will create the Internet Safety Advisory Council, with the goal to advance the safe use of media and technology by students and teachers in Virginia’s public schools. A previous Council was established in 2022, but was sunset last year.
The head of the Virginia Department of Education will appoint its members. The Council will develop best practices relating to Internet safety for school boards, to support teachers and students.
Links to the instructional practices, curricula and other teacher resources used to advance safe use of media and technology will be posted to the DOE website, according to the bill’s impact statement. The projected cost will be just over $62,000 to support the Council’s work.
Del. Tom Garrett, R-Louisa, introduced a bill related to online harassment that failed last session. House Bill 487 allowed people harassed, intimidated or coerced by someone through electronic means, such as computers, to pursue civil action. A subcommittee removed the bill from the docket.
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