Should schools have the power to discipline students for what they do online, even outside school hours? What students choose to say or do outside of school or in the privacy of their own homes should be their own business, however, in this day and age with online bullying and media threats, it should be okay for schools to discipline students for their behavior online, even if some think that it is not their job to do so.
If someone makes a post or comment about another student’s safety, they should be punished for it. Bullying and harassment are both things you would get in trouble for on campus, so why not off campus too?
Online behavior could impact the learning environment. Cyberbullying may have a negative impact on a student’s education and overall well-being. Ensuring a secure and civil learning environment for all students, whether in person or online is the school’s duty. Disciplining students for social media should be allowed in some cases. If it involves bullying, threats, or other harmful activities, it needs to be addressed.
Imagine a student uses social media to send a hateful or threatening comment about a classmate. The targeted student feels uncomfortable because the posts are eventually seen by the entire school. After learning about these posts, the school administration decides to handle it appropriately. The student who made these posts or comments is disciplined. This is being done to put an end to the cruel online behavior and to make sure the school remains a safe, respectful place.
Although there should be punishments for bullying or harassment online, there is a line that the school should not cross. People should be allowed to have freedom of speech as long as it isn’t causing harm to another classmate.
Some people claim that schools shouldn’t be allowed to punish students for online behavior because it is an invasion of privacy. They think the parents, not the school, should be in charge of their student’s behavior off campus, especially those that take place online.
There is a worry that administration could abuse their power to interfere with students’ right to free speech. To ensure their children are treating everyone with respect on social media, parents should monitor their usage.
Unfortunately, some parents choose to not take action, allowing their child to treat other people poorly. This is why schools need to take action sometimes, and that is okay. School should feel safe and welcoming for everyone. If someone’s online behavior is making another student feel anxious or targeted, that person should be taken care of.
