What is Bullying?
As stated in the Massachusetts Anti-bullying law:
Bullying is the repeated use by one or more students of a written, verbal or electronic expression which includes cyber-bullying or a physical act of gesture directed at a victim that causes:
- Causes physical or emotional harm to the victim or damage to the victim's property
- Places the victim in a reasonable fear of harm to himself or of damage to his property
- Creates a hostile environment at school for the victim
- Infringes on the rights of the victim at school
- Materially and substantially disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a school
What is Cyber-Bullying?
Cyber-bullying is bullying as defined above through the use of technology, or any electronic communication, which shall include, but shall not be limited to, any transfer of signs, signals, writing, images, sounds, data or intelligence of any nature transmitted electronically (in whole or in part by wire, radio, electromagnetic, photo electronic or photo optical). Cyberbullying includes but is not limited to electronic mail, internet communications, instant messages or facsimile communications.
Cyberbullying shall also include:
- the creation of a web page or blog in which the creator assumes the identity of another person or
- the knowing impersonation of another person as the author of posted content or messages, if the creation or impersonation creates any of the conditions enumerated in the definition of bullying listed above.
- distribution by electronic means of a communication to more than one person or the posting of material on an electronic medium that can be accessed by one or more persons if the distribution or posting creates any of the conditions listed in the definition of bullying listed above.