Cyberbullying in Social Media within Educational Institutions

Cyberbullying in social media is one of the most important concerns in educational institutions at the K-12 and higher education levels today. Cyberbullying is complicated because it involves children, parents, and other family members as well as society at-large. It hurts the victim, the cyberbully, their families, their friends, others at and beyond the school, and our American society in countless direct and indirect ways — educationally, emotionally, mentally, physically, socially, and in some cases it takes the victim’s life away. Sometimes the results of cyberbullying are intentional, other times the results are unintended.

This book presents the information from the collaborative efforts and perspectives of a current school district superintendent who has researched and worked day-to-day with the issues, and an attorney currently dealing with the legal issues relevant to cyberbullying. This book is helpful to students, parents, educators, mental and medical health professionals, and attorneys who work with the misery, fears, terror and other consequences of cyberbullying in social media.

Merle Horowitz, Ed.D., is a superintendent in suburban Philadelphia, PA, and has spent the past 20 years studying bullying and bully prevention programs. This research led to her dissertation about online harassment of educators and cyberbullying within social media.

Dorothy M. Bollinger is an attorney whose law practice focuses on Internet, computer, information, technology, and copyright legal issues as she represents, among others, numerous educational institutions. Before entering the legal field, she was a superintendent of schools and an administrator and teacher in schools, colleges, and universities.