Cyber-bullying and Schools’ Responsibility Online

By: Svara Borse

Cyberbullying has become an increasingly prevalent issue for students, schools, and lawmakers as technology continues to play a major role in everyday living. Unlike traditional bullying, so long as a device is near, cyberbullying can happen any time, any place through social media, text messages, gaming platforms, and other online spaces, making it possible for harmful behavior to take place outside of school. Because cyberbullying can negatively impact a student’s education and learning environment, governments across the world have created laws and policies to address bullying. However, the United States itself does not have one federal law that specifically makes cyberbullying illegal. Rather, every state has legislation addressing bullying, and many states weave cyberbullying within those policies. Considering the lack of specific national policy addressing cyberbullying, how much responsibility do schools really have for what students do online?

At the federal level, cyberbullying is not automatically a violation of federal law. However, bullying can transform into a federal civil rights issue when involving harassment based on specific characteristics such as race, skin tone, nationality, gender, disability, or religion. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ StopBullying.gov states schools receiving federal funding—public schools—have legal responsibilities when hostility is formed through bullying based on a protected characteristic. Federal laws that may apply include Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, Title IX of the Education Amendments, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. When these laws apply, schools are expected to investigate complaints and take appropriate actionable steps to cease the harassment and prevent it from happening again. Ultimately, the federal government can protect students from cyberbullying despite there being no single federal law specifically banning cyberbullying when protected laws are violated.

Beyond schools with federal funding, state governments have a larger role in establishing rules for bullying in schools. According to StopBullying.gov, all 50 states have specific laws or policies addressing bullying, although the requirements differ from state to state. Wisconsin, for example, requires school districts to adopt a policy prohibiting bullying by students under Wisconsin Statute §118.46. However, this anti-bullying law does not specifically address bullying that occurs off school grounds, demonstrating how state laws can have legal limits when it comes to online behavior. Even o, schools still have an important responsibility to respond when online behavior affects students or creates problems within the school environment. Schools frequently establish their own policies, educate students about responsible online behavior, provide ways to report bullying, and work with guardians when cyberbullying incidents occur.

Cyberbullying is both a social concern and a civic issue because government laws determine how schools are expected to respond. The federal government provides protections when bullying becomes discriminatory harassment, while state governments create most of the laws that specifically address bullying in schools. All the while, these laws do not cover every situation involving online behavior. Schools, therefore, must step in, enforce their policies, educate students, and take complaints seriously while following state and federal law. As technology continues to evolve, lawmakers will need to continue analyzing whether existing laws adequately protect students online,and schools must continuously examine better ways to protect their students from cyberbullying and other predatory behaviors online. 

“Federal Laws.” StopBullying.gov, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, www.stopbullying.gov/resources/laws/federal.

“Laws, Policies & Regulations.” StopBullying.gov, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 17 May 2023, www.stopbullying.gov/resources/laws.

“Wisconsin Anti-Bullying Laws & Policies.” StopBullying.gov, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 12 May 2026, www.stopbullying.gov/resources/laws/wisconsin.

“Report Cyberbullying.” StopBullying.gov, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 11 Dec. 2024, www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/how-to-report.