The Cyberbullying Research Center has been collecting data on online harassment for 15 years. During that time, we’ve surveyed more than 20,000 middle and high school students from across the United States. And we know from that research how significant the problem is and the impact it can have.

At least one in three middle and high school students have experienced cyberbullying. They are tormented online in ways that can make learning at school extremely difficult. Educators can and should respond to these incidents even if they occur away from the classroom.

Courts have already determined that schools have the right to punish students for their off-campus behavior. That includes what happens online if whatever occurred causes a “substantial disruption” of the learning environment—or interferes with the rights of students. There’s
no doubt that if young people are being mistreated online, their ability to learn and feel safe at school is disrupted.

Social media makes it easy for young people to connect with their peers anytime, anywhere. Unfortunately, some students use the internet to harass and shame their classmates. We can all agree that cyberbullying is wrong and should never be tolerated. However, it’s a matter that should be dealt with by parents—not school officials.

Educators have the authority to discipline students when they violate school rules on school grounds. But if students act out off campus, it’s up to parents to decide the punishment. The same should go for online activity. If cyberbullying takes place outside of school hours, it should be handled by parents and only brought to the attention of the school administration as necessary, such as if the victim feels unsafe in class.

When schools start to police social media posts, it could infringe on students’ First Amendment right to free speech. In more than one case, courts have
ruled that schools can’t limit students’ online posts when they’re outside of class unless the messages cause a “substantial disruption” at school.