Shelley Coburn (City) – I don’t think so, but cyber-bullying is an extremely complex issue and I think that we need to be careful how we implement these policies. There can be serious long term consequences for some if we apply this as a blanket policy. The way I see it, we have created this technology, we unleashed it on our children and now they are dealing with the consequences. I think there is some serious work that needs to be done here. There is a need to draw on good and rigorous research and incorporate into our policies, and when we enact them, we must do so with great care. Megan Dykeman (Township) – Yes. Cyber Bullying is a challenging issue. The Langley School District is committed to preventing and dealing effectively with all types of bullying, including cyber-bullying. The Langley Board of Education updated Policy 7200, now the “Student Anti-Harassment and Anti-Discrimination Policyâ€, to focus on the collective responsibility of all members of the school community to support a positive culture and climate no matter what the type or direction of the harassment. The revised policy has explicit and clear language that recognizes and addresses specific challenges faced by our community, including cyber-bullying, in order to make our schools safe for all students. The Ministry of education also has an “Erase Bullying†initiative which the Langley School District follows and implements, which also focuses on cyber-bullying.
Rod Ross (Township) – Yes. Again we are updating the policy as we speak on this topic and it will much better than what we currently have. A good district getting better. Constant improvement is the goal.
David Tod (Township) – Cyber bullying is a national, provincial, and community issue. Every student is asked to sign an access of use technology consent form. Use of the internet is a privilege not a right!