District offers app to report cyberbullies
The Pflugerville school district is among those across the state implementing procedures that coincide with a new law that aims to combat cyberbullying among students.
Senate Bill 179, or “David’s Law,” makes it a Class A misdemeanor when someone harasses a student 18 or younger through text messages, social media, websites or other electronic means. The law also allows courts to set a temporary injunction on social media accounts that may have been used in cyberbullying.
The law, which went into effect this month, allows punishment for anyone engaging in bullying that encourages a minor to attempt or commit suicide and designates principals to report cases of cyberbullying to law enforcement. The law also designates school counselors as mediators for conflicts involving cyberbullying between students.
Pflugerville school district spokesman Steve Scheffler said students deserve to feel safe both at school and at home.
“If bullying is taking place, it must be addressed swiftly,” he said. “Cyberbullying, in particular, is important to address because of its unique nature and the ability for it to spread virally.”
The suicide of 16-year-old San Antonio high school student David Molak spurred Texas Sens. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio, and Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, to write the legislation. According to the David’s Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit focused on ending cyberbullying, a group of students who harassed, humiliated and threatened Molak led him to take his own life.
The legislation received wide support from the Senate and House. Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill into law in early June.
The law comes at a time of rising suicide rates among adolescent boys and girls. According to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the national suicide rate for girls ages 15 to 19 doubled from 2007 to 2015, from 2.4 to 5.1 suicides per 100,000 population.
The suicide rate for boys ages 15 to 19 increased by 31 percent in that same time span, from 10.8 to 14.3 suicides per 100,000 population, according to the CDC.
The Pflugerville school district is providing an Anonymous Alerts application, where students or parents can report incidents of cyberbullying through a computer or smartphone. Alerts can also be made through a web browser by visiting anonymousalerts.com/pfisd.
Scheffler encouraged anyone experiencing bullying or who has witnessed bullying to immediately contact a teacher or campus administrator, whether the incident is face-to-face or through electronic media. Anonymous Alerts can also be used to report dangerous situations such as school threats, attempts at suicide or medical situations.
The Round Rock and Leander school districts also use Anonymous Alerts, while the Austin and Hutto districts provide a reporting form at their campus offices and through websites.