Experts are using multiple sources of data about cyberbullying to come to new conclusions, some of which are counter to the prevailing thought on the subject. For example, researchers now say that harsh disciplinary measures or ”zero tolerance” policies at school may backfire, as those who observe the bullying will stay quiet if they perceive the punishment to be too harsh, or if they think resentment against the target will be worse if they notify an adult. As one expert put it, “Harsh consequences delivered by controlling adults also deepen the chasm between the adult world and the student world.” The wider that chasm, the less likely students will be to call out one of their own against controlling adults who they perceive don’t understand their world.
In addition, more than half of the high schoolers who responded to a recent survey reported that adults in their schools “did little or nothing,” or “fairly little” to cut down on bullying, making students even less likely to report incidents. Survey also show there is evidence that the message that bullying leads to suicide can give targeted kids the idea that harming themselves is an acceptable way to respond. If your school or district is sponsoring programs on bullying or is rethinking their policies, you may want to forward them the article 10 Realities About Bullying at School and Online from Mind/Shift on the KQED site.