The phenomenon of cyberbullying is coming under scrutiny from Tufts students and administrators, in recognition of the fact that it is a growing problem that needs to be addressed.
Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senator Tabias Wilson, chair of the Senate's Culture, Ethnicity and Community Affairs (CECA) Committee, and TCU President Sam Wallis have been working with members of the administration, including Dean of Student Affairs Bruce Reitman, to create a task force comprised of students, faculty and administrators to address the issue of cyberbullying.
Some students have already volunteered to serve on the task force, which will meet for the first time within the next few weeks, according to Reitman. He said the task force is still soliciting members.
Cyberbullying has increasingly become a source of worry for students, parents and faculty members nationwide. A 2007 study by the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project found that nearly a third of teenagers with online access had experienced a form of harassment on the Internet.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts in May enacted anti-bullying legislation that included prohibitions against online harassment.
Wilson, a sophomore, said the idea for the task force stemmed from growing concerns about cyberbullying and its harmful effects.
"It is a fact-finding workin group that will seek to provide recommendations to the university in regard to how to deal with new forms of bullying and how to create, promote and sustain a culture on campus that is safe for all students," Wilson said. "The group wishes to look at the roots of bias on campus, how we contribute to them and how we have dealt with them in the past."
He said that the idea for a cyberbullying task force has come up at Tufts in the past, but that recent events have pushed it back in the spotlight.
"The idea has been floating around for quite some time, perhaps before I arrived at Tufts," he said. "However, momentum began to build after numerous students and parents began going to the administration about threatening and/or libelous comments posted online."
Wallis, a senior, said the issue was discussed in light of incidents that occurred over the course of last semester's campaigns for TCU elections.
"Things came to light regarding cyberbullying, and students were outraged by it," he said.
According to Reitman, a dozen students and faculty members have already volunteered to participate in the group. He said that the group would serve only in an advisory capacity.
"Policy and rule-making is not going to address this issue," Reitman said.
He said that enforcing rules against cyberbullying is difficult and often raises concerns about violating free speech. The task force will thus focus more on fostering discussion and raising awareness about cyberbullying and general Internet-related issues, rather than shaping policy or trying to create restrictions.
"Something that's not enforceable probably shouldn't be done," Reitman said. "However, we have to do something about this because people fear for their safety and reputation. It's humiliating."
Wallis said the group has no plans to attempt to monitor Internet use, nor to target specific venues, like websites, that can foster cyberbullying.
"We're not creating Big Brother here," Wallis said. "Clearly the goal is not to close one site because part of being in the 21st century is that another site will pop up."
Reitman said that the phenomenon of cyberbullying is not dissimilar to traditional forms of harassment.
"It is no different than going to a room door of a person who belongs to a group on campus and writing threats or harassment on their note board," Reitman said. "It's no different from making prank phone calls. It's no different from sending hate mail in an envelope. It's more convenient, but it still takes no courage at all to take cheap shots at somebody."
Wilson emphasized the harmful effects of cyberbullying.
"The stress does not stop at online gossip or discussion boards — it's in your mind when you go to sleep at night, wondering who that person is," Wilson said. "It could be your roommate, it could be someone down the hall."
Reitman said the issue has come up at many of Tufts' peer institutions.
"It's not unique. When I talked with my colleagues from the other NESCAC schools, we saw that it was everywhere," he said.
Wilson said the anonymity afforded by the Internet makes threats harder to evaluate for those targeted by abusive and violent language.
"When this is done online or via text, it is hard to ascertain the seriousness of the threat or the author," he said. "Anonymity allows people to be more vicious and vile than the public arena would ever account for."
Wilson added that cyberbullying particularly affects women, people of color and members of the LGBT community.
Reitman said reaching out to the intended audience of cyberbullying attacks is important.
"If you get people to stop laughing at hurtful jokes, maybe the tellers stop telling," he said.
