The deaths of Rehtaeh Parsons and Amanda Todd boosted national attention to the dangers of cyberbullying and a federal response in the form of Bill C-31.
The proposed bill is meant to establish a legislative crackdown on cyberbullying; distribution of “intimate images” without consent.Courts would be allowed to seize computers or mobile devices used in an alleged offence, and law enforcement will have increased access to computer metadata.
This legislation seems reactive, rather than proactive. Furthermore, it uses the Internet as a scapegoat for all these recent bullying tragedies.
Increasing the punishment isn’t preventative. Canadians need to be taught acceptance and tolerance while they’re young, so these values are reflected both online and offline.
Carleton University psychology professor Tina Daniels says she has observed middle schools and high schools that have made bullying and cyberbullying an offence worthy of expulsion.
Despite the grave consequences, bullying was not deterred. Sending young Canadians to jail for cyberbullying would likely yield similar results.
Rather than focusing on punishment, we should shift our culture away from accepting bullying as a social norm.
Bill C-31 largely targets teenagers and young adults. Most Canadians in this group are still learning the boundaries of acceptable behaviour, and developing their social skills.
If cyberbullying was to be criminalized, it is unlikely that middle and high school students would appreciate the consequences of their actions.
Aspects of cyberbullying, such as disseminating intimate photos without consent, are worthy of legal penalties, but young Canadians need to be steered away from this type of behaviour before their actions escalate into something that will result in a jail sentence.
The Internet essentially transcends our personalities into a digital world. If children are taunting, ridiculing, and displaying bouts of racism, homophobia, and misogyny online, it is likely that these actions are mimicked offline.
Teaching and encouraging young Canadians accountability and tolerance will produce more responsible citizens, and responsible digital citizenship will follow.
The Ottawa Catholic School Board has a program called “Digital Samaritan.” Every student at every grade level, from one to 12, learns about responsible use of technology through verses of the Good Samaritan parables.
Police are also brought into these schools to teach the students about the consequences of cyberbullying.
These are examples of preventative measures that can be applied nationwide to help curb bullying and cyberbullying.
Unfortunately, no amount of preventative measures and legislation will mold every Canadian into responsible, upstanding citizens. A more complex approach is needed.For example, providing support to bullying victims is vital in maintaining their emotional stability and quelling the conflict with their aggressor.
Offering all victims an outlet to express their experiences is important for them to learn how to cope with bullying.
Teaching children conflict resolution is equally crucial. Anti-bullying advertisements and campaigns only teach children to be offended with bullying rather than to face the conflict and resolve it. Bullying isn’t just a problem that occurs within Canada’s youth. According to Statistics Canada, 40 per cent of Canadian workers experience bullying on a daily basis.
Conflict is inevitable in all age groups. While bullying is unacceptable, it is naive to presume that legislation and education will erase this problem. If Canadians are taught to deal with conflict at a young age, they will be better equipped to deal with acts of aggression throughout their lives.
According to PREVNet, a national authority on research and resources for bullying prevention, bullies are subject to abusive relationships with their parents, significant others, or their peers.
Bystanders tend to side with the victim when learning about bullying offences. Criminalizing cyberbullying will only propel this habit.
Rather than labeling bullies as social deviants and casting them off into the criminal justice system, we should be viewing bullies as victims as well. They need just as much help as the people they torment.
Assuming that legislation will solve all of Canada’s cyberbullying problems is like putting a Band-Aid over a mortal wound. There are many underlying societal issues that need to be addressed in order to make these proposed laws effective.
Solving these social issues will ensure that this behavior is corrected before it has to be dealt with by the law.