Cyberbullying Nominated for Criminal Status

The Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF) recently nominated cyberbullying for criminal offence status.  And while it is unclear who will win the award for most convincing argument, the Canadian Teachers’ Federation is officially campaigning for criminalization.

Parents and children appear to be behind in contesting the nomination. They will have their work cut out for them because the CTF is an organized and resourceful opponent.

According to CBC News reports, the federation believes bullying on the Internet, which may involve harassment, threats and rumour mongering, has become an occupational health and safety issue requiring serious action from the government and police.

A federation-sponsored survey conducted across Canada between February and March of this year, found that 34 per cent of the 2,523 Canadian respondents knew of students in their community who had been cyberbullied this year, and 20 per cent knew of teachers who had been cyberbullied.

If the CTF wins we can expect to see more youth in jail, where they learn their lessons best, as we can see from the high number of one-time offenders currently in the system.

While Canadian schools and school administrators are ill-prepared for the challenges of the information age, they appear well prepared to support draconian laws that fail to focus on healing our society.

Interestingly, in their cries for support from the public, one unconventional approach appears to have slipped their minds: Use classroom education time to teach students proper online conduct.  Modify the curriculum to teach appropriate conflict resolution skills in an environment where children get to practically enact and learn to resolve everyday challenges, which will often re-appear throughout their lives.  In doing so, they might reject knee-jerk emotional reactions and consider more appropriate responses when they feel challenged.  Also, how about teaching children how to avoid online predators and how to respond when aggressively pursued online?  And if that communication develops into something more like cyberbullying, teach appropriate response strategies.  Prepare children to select the most appropriate tools to create a reality free from fear — one where they are empowered to save themselves and to help others.

Having never conquered bullying on the school grounds, it is unsurprising that policy makers and enforcers have begun the online fight.  But if the federal government criminalizes cyberbullying all bullying might have to fall victim to that law; then might not the first victim(s) be the Prime Minister and key members of his party?

Bullying is a pervasive issue; one intrinsically tied to the struggle for power between those who feel they have it and those who fail to exercise it.  Criminalizing one form of power abuse does not prevent abuse of power, whether it’s coded in zeros and ones or unleashed with brute force.

Nominating cyberbullying for criminal status is in itself criminal for it’s lack of insight, and is exactly the behaviour Neale Donald Walsch denounces in his book, Communion with God, when he says, ”…efforts in your society are directed not nearly so much at seeking to change these behaviors as seeking to punish them.  It is thought that punishing them will correct them.” 

According to Walsch, we must first correct the conditions that breed and support “unwanted behaviors,” before we can realistically expect to effect reform; advice which constitutes good problem solving methodology, for in order to resolve a problem, it is essential to address the root cause(s), which must be isolated from the symptom(s) of that problem, to generate long-term effectiveness.

It is unclear if students and parents will contest the nomination to criminalize cyberbullying. However, making a strong case for punishment, the CTF is expected to continue its fight for criminalization. After all, can we really expect more caring and less judgement; more dialogue and less punishment within the school system, even as it reaches out into public spheres to punish cyberbullying?

If not, more youths can look forward to Mickey D’s meals and metal instead of chocolate bars.  And while they suffer, society can look forward to stagnation, thanks to an incarceration mindset.