Teen Cyberbullying Investigated: Where Do Your Rights End and Consequences Begin?

by Thomas A. Jacobs

Overview

How do teens know when they might be “one click away from the clink”? In Teen Cyberbullying Investigated, Judge Tom Jacobs presents a powerful collection of landmark court cases involving teens and charges of cyberbullying, which includes: sending insulting or threatening emails, text, or instant messages directly to someone; spreading hateful comments about someone through emails, blogs, or chat rooms; stealing passwords and sending out threatening messages using a false identity; and building a Web site to target specific people. Each chapter features the seminal case and resulting decision, asks readers whether they agree with the decision, and urges them to think about how the decision affects their lives. Chapters also include related cases, important facts and statistics, and suggestions for further reading. With an ever-increasing number of serious cases of cyberbullying and school violence, this book is needed more urgently than ever.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781575423395
Publisher:	Free Spirit Publishing, Inc.
Publication date:	01/15/2010
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Thomas a. Jacobs, J.D., was an Arizona Assistant Attorney general from 1972–1985, where he practiced criminal and child welfare law. He was appointed to the Maricopa County Superior Court in 1985 where he served as a judge pro tem and commissioner in the juvenile and family courts until his retirement in 2008. He also taught juvenile law for ten years as an adjunct professor at the Arizona State University School of Social Work. He continues to write for teens, lawyers, and judges. His recent articles on teens and the law have been published in The New York Times and New York ParentGuide. His previous books include What Are My Rights?, They Broke the Law—You Be the Judge, and Teens Take It to Court. Judge Jacobs also maintains the popular Web site “Ask the Judge: Answers for Teens About the law” at www.askthejudge.info.

Editorial Reviews

“Kaye and Cousteau have set the stage for active involvement of young people in the preservation of their oceans and their planet. It doesn’t get much more important than that.”—Robert Shumer, Ph.D., Information for Action: A Journal for Service-Learning Research with Children and Youth

 “Should be required reading for school administrators, teachers, parents, and young people when exploring the vast and still uncharted territory of the Internet.”—Ian Zack, Executive Editor, The New York Times Upfront

Like Toney Allman’s Mean Behind the Screen (2009), this title deals with the hot, contemporary topic of online teen harassment, by both teens and by adults. The author, a former judge, focuses on recent landmark court cases, many of them still pending, and in an informal, interactive style, each chapter discusses one case in detail, bringing together the rights of the victim as well as those of the perpetrator. He then moves from the particulars to the general issues and asks readers, “What would you decide in this case?” Whether the case is about using a cell phone to send nude photos of a friend, a personal attack on a teacher, or posting a fake profile online, Jacobs encourages readers to consider the viewpoints of victim, perpetrator, and bystander (“Have you ever sent a bullying personal message, all over your school?”). Each chapter includes a bibliography of articles and Web sites and interactive questions sure to spark more discussion. “Think before you click!” sums up the cautionary advice.—Booklist

 Gr 7 Up–Among books recently published on this topic, this one distinguishes itself by covering more than 50 actual court cases involving teenagers. A note on the back states that the offensive language is quoted from court transcripts and should be taken in context. Although Judge Jacobs assures teenagers of their protected legal rights, especially First Amendment rights, the hearings are a sobering reminder of the real dangers and legal consequences of cyberbullying. He admits that laws differ from state to state and judges in one court will hand down different decisions from those in another. Cyberbullies are warned to expect the unexpected. Some of the cases were still pending at the time of publication. Although the text is explicitly addressed to teenagers, it would be helpful to school administrators who could refer to the court cases when dealing with cyberspace misuse and School Authorized Use Policies (AUPs). Crime/Justice and Participation in Government courses could use the questions and prompts posed at the end of each chapter for class discussion. Although further resources and Web sites are extensive, some legal journals would not be readily available to high school students. The layout includes sidebars, photos, and graphics. Promoting the values of civility and ethical behavior makes this book an even more timely and valuable purchase.—School Library Journal

“Read it. It will close the gap between you and what your kids know that you don’t know.”—Dr. Phil McGraw of the national Dr. Phil show

“With the new trends seen in bullying and with more instances of bullying occurring through texting, social networking sites, and email, Jacobs’ book is a must read. It encourages teens and educators to think about the law and what it might mean for those involved in cyberbullying.”—Communiqué, the newsletter of the National Association of School Psychologists

“Every teen who has a cell phone or goes online should read this book. It’s as suspenseful as Harry Potter and as scary as Twilight, but these stories are real.”—Mary Beth Tinker, former plaintiff in the famous student free speech case Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (U.S. Supreme Court, 1969)

“A great tool to provoke dialogue and help bridge the ‘digital divide’ between teens and adults.” —Dr. Jenny Walker, president, Cyberbullying Consulting, Ltd.

From the Publisher

Like Toney Allman's Mean Behind the Screen (2009), this title deals with the hot, contemporary topic of online teen harassment, by both teens and by adults. The author, a former judge, focuses on recent landmark court cases, many of them still pending, and in an informal, interactive style, each chapter discusses one case in detail, bringing together the rights of the victim as well as those of the perpetrator. He then moves from the particulars to the general issues and asks readers, "What would you decide in this case?" Whether the case is about using a cell phone to send nude photos of a friend, a personal attack on a teacher, or posting a fake profile online, Jacobs encourages readers to consider the viewpoints of victim, perpetrator, and bystander ("Have you ever sent a bullying personal message, all over your school?"). Each chapter includes a bibliography of articles and Web sites and interactive questions sure to spark more discussion. "Think before you click!" sums up the cautionary advice.

Booklist

Bullies are no longer just those who shove someone in the hallway or write hateful insults on bathroom walls. With blogs, email, text messages, web sites, social networking sites, and viral videos, harassment has left the schoolyard and infected the computer screens and lives of people across the globe. Many students think their behavior at home cannot be prosecuted by their schools' administration, but as the state court systems struggle to catch up to crimes committed in the electronic world, it's only a matter of time before the Supreme Court weighs in on First Amendment rights in the Internet Age. Who better to tackle the intricacies of the First Amendment as applied to cyberspace than a retired judge? Author Tom Jacobs, J.D. divides the book into two parts: (1) an overview of cyberbullying and the law, and (2) actual court cases, sixteen in all, some tragic, ranging from web sites harassing teachers to school newspaper publication of instructions for hacking into the school's computer system. Jacobs keeps his readers hooked by speaking to them directly and asking them questions about ethics and their responsibilities in using technology. After reading so many court cases, teens may feel motivated to further investigate cyberbullying, and many extra features are included in this book to help them do so, including an extensive glossary of legal terms, a section on how to conduct legal research, a list of web resources, lists of sources by chapter, and lists of resources for further reading. This well-researched and dynamic book is an excellent resource for teens, parents, teachers, administrators, and anyone responsible for media access in schools. Note: Fair warning is given on the cover and in the text of the book that profanity is included where it appeared in actual court documents. Reviewer: Keri Collins Lewis

Children's Literature - Keri Collins Lewis

Presenting cyberbullying cases dating back to the late 1990s, this text feels complete, well-researched, creatively presented, and accessible to teens as well as adults. Each of the sixteen chapters examines a court case, asks the reader to think about the parameters of the case, explains the court outcome, and often ends with what the accused teen is doing now. The graphics, repeating sidebars—some, titled "The Bottom Line," summarize the possible personal and legal consequences of cyberbullying—and occasional white text on black background, add to the contemporary presentation and involve the teen reader even more in the material. Electronic aggression happens around the world, and Jacobs cites events in Korea, Canada, Cyprus, the Czech Republic and other countries. He also discusses cyber-bullycide and teen Internet use. Excellent Internet resources and print articles are cited, where relevant, throughout the book with additional Web resources included at the end of the book. Jacobs voices the most needed cyberspace reality: "Your online audience is the world, whether you create content at school or in the privacy of your bedroom" (32). His book examines the consequences of ignoring that reality. This excellent resource is important reading for teens, and any adults who have teens in their lives. Reviewer: C.J. Bott

VOYA - C.J. Bott

Gr 7 Up—Among books recently published on this topic, this one distinguishes itself by covering more than 50 actual court cases involving teenagers. A note on the back states that the offensive language is quoted from court transcripts and should be taken in context. Although Judge Jacobs assures teenagers of their protected legal rights, especially First Amendment rights, the hearings are a sobering reminder of the real dangers and legal consequences of cyberbullying. He admits that laws differ from state to state and judges in one court will hand down different decisions from those in another. Cyberbullies are warned to expect the unexpected. Some of the cases were still pending at the time of publication. Although the text is explicitly addressed to teenagers, it would be helpful to school administrators who could refer to the court cases when dealing with cyberspace misuse and School Authorized Use Policies (AUPs). Crime/Justice and Participation in Government courses could use the questions and prompts posed at the end of each chapter for class discussion. Although further resources and Web sites are extensive, some legal journals would not be readily available to high school students. The layout includes sidebars, photos, and graphics. Promoting the values of civility and ethical behavior makes this book an even more timely and valuable purchase.—Peggy Fleming, Churchville-Chili High School, Churchville, NY

School Library Journal