Teen Cyberbullying Investigated: Where Do Your Rights End and Consequences Begin? [Paperback]

Thomas A. Jacobs J.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 2010

How do teens know when they might be “one click away from the clink”? In Teen Cyberbullying Investigated, Judge Tom Jacobs presents a powerful collection of landmark court cases involving teens and charges of cyberbullying, which includes: sending insulting or threatening emails, text, or instant messages directly to someone; spreading hateful comments about someone through emails, blogs, or chat rooms; stealing passwords and sending out threatening messages using a false identity; and building a Web site to target specific people. Each chapter features the seminal case and resulting decision, asks readers whether they agree with the decision, and urges them to think about how the decision affects their lives. Chapters also include related cases, important facts and statistics, and suggestions for further reading. With an ever-increasing number of serious cases of cyberbullying and school violence, this book is needed more urgently than ever.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up—Among books recently published on this topic, this one distinguishes itself by covering more than 50 actual court cases involving teenagers. A note on the back states that the offensive language is quoted from court transcripts and should be taken in context. Although Judge Jacobs assures teenagers of their protected legal rights, especially First Amendment rights, the hearings are a sobering reminder of the real dangers and legal consequences of cyberbullying. He admits that laws differ from state to state and judges in one court will hand down different decisions from those in another. Cyberbullies are warned to expect the unexpected. Some of the cases were still pending at the time of publication. Although the text is explicitly addressed to teenagers, it would be helpful to school administrators who could refer to the court cases when dealing with cyberspace misuse and School Authorized Use Policies (AUPs). Crime/Justice and Participation in Government courses could use the questions and prompts posed at the end of each chapter for class discussion. Although further resources and Web sites are extensive, some legal journals would not be readily available to high school students. The layout includes sidebars, photos, and graphics. Promoting the values of civility and ethical behavior makes this book an even more timely and valuable purchase.—Peggy Fleming, Churchville-Chili High School, Churchville, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Like Toney Allman’s Mean Behind the Screen (2009), this title deals with the hot, contemporary topic of online teen harassment, by both teens and by adults. The author, a former judge, focuses on recent landmark court cases, many of them still pending, and in an informal, interactive style, each chapter discusses one case in detail, bringing together the rights of the victim as well as those of the perpetrator. He then moves from the particulars to the general issues and asks readers, “What would you decide in this case?” Whether the case is about using a cell phone to send nude photos of a friend, a personal attack on a teacher, or posting a fake profile online, Jacobs encourages readers to consider the viewpoints of victim, perpetrator, and bystander (“Have you ever sent a bullying personal message, all over your school?”). Each chapter includes a bibliography of articles and Web sites and interactive questions sure to spark more discussion. “Think before you click!” sums up the cautionary advice. Grades 7-12. --Hazel Rochman

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Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing; Original edition (January 15, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575423391
• ISBN-13: 978-1575423395
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #55,651 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > Computers & Technology > Business & Management > Digital Law
  • #5 in Books > Teens > Education & Reference > Science & Technology > Computers
  • #59 in Books > Computers & Technology > Business & Management > Culture

More About the Author

Thomas A. Jacobs, J.D., was an Arizona Assistant Attorney General from 1972-1985 where he practiced criminal and child welfare law. He was appointed to the Maricopa County Superior Court in 1985 where he served as a judge pro tem and commissioner in the juvenile and family courts until his retirement in 2008. He also taught juvenile law for ten years as an adjunct professor at the Arizona State University School of Social Work. He continues to write for teens, lawyers and judges.

Visit Judge Jacobs' Web site, www.Askthejudge.info, for free interactive educational tools that provide current information regarding laws, court decisions, and national news affecting teens. It's the only site of its kind to provide legal questions and answers for teens, parents and educators with the unique ability to interact with Judge Jacobs and other teens.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A "Must Read" for teens and adults who want to know about cyberbullying and the law January 27, 2010

By Dr. Jenny Walker

Format:Paperback

Judge Jacobs "gets it"! He explains complex legal cases on a level that teens, parents, and educators can all understand without a law degree! Not only that, the reader comes away with a good feel for why it is important to know what these cases are about, and how they might relate to you personally. He frequently asks the reader, "How does this decision affect you?" and "How would you decide this case?" He explains "The bottom line," and suggests additional "Things to think about." Educators or parents could easily use those sections to turn any chapter into a classroom activity or to start a conversation with their teenagers around the dinner table. That is why Judge Jacobs "gets it": This book is a great tool to provoke dialogue between teens and adults and help bridge the huge "digital divide" between us. As a professional in the cyberbullying field, a big "thank you" to the Judge for this much-needed-tool.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for teens! March 7, 2010

By A. L. Johnson

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is a must read for all teens and their parents. It's written by an expert in this field and a former juvenile court judge in AZ. It is an awesome insight to what happens when you do things on the Internet and push that send button. There is no going back once that is done and Judge Jacobs explores court cases of teens and what their consequences were! Should be required reading for teens in every school!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Cyberbullying Expertly Explained March 4, 2010

By S. L. Nachbar

Format:Paperback

I have some interest in this cyberbullying because I write about education-related issues, but also because I have been trying to gain a better understanding of social networking. Judge Jacob's book explains the ramifications of teen cyberbullying in a very readable format. While Judge Jacobs apparently served on the bench for a long time, he has written a book that is not overly drowned in legalese.

With respect to cyberspace, issues of free speech may extend off-campus to social networking tools and Web sites. This book mentions several examples including cases of derogatory and misleading information about teachers and students to threats to pull "another Columbine" to tamer incidents such as comments that would appear on student evaluations of teachers at the college level.

The major contention from reading the case examples and the rulings is the level of damage or disruption caused by the activity. In some cases, as you will read, the school district won, and expelled offenders. However, in others, the student won, and school districts were forced to pay the student's legal fees. School districts are aptly warned about improper punishments, too.

After reading this book, I read about a cyberbullying case on the editorial page of the Rutgers Daily Targum, the main campusdaily newspaper, where a high school suspended a student who had posted disparaging comments about a teacher--they were on the line of "she's the worst teacher I ever had." The school also reacted by removing the student from honors and advanced placement classes, which seems excessive. In this case the student had her day in court and won.

I recommend this book to school officials as well as parents who are concerned about their son's or daughter's use of the Internet. It will also provide sufficient warning to potential cyberbullies.