Abstract
Cyberbullying is a growing phenomenon, causing concern among students, parents, and professionals in the educational community. Although no federal law specifically addresses cyber-harassment in higher education, institutions have a legal obligation to address all claims of harassment, regardless of the location or platform in which the harassing behavior occurs. Recent court cases are setting precedents for obligatory institutional response and potential penalties for lack thereof; conversely, institutions are left to their own devices to employ and develop policy statements and sanctions that prohibit or discourage cyber-harassment behaviors. As the legal and political environment regarding bullying and cyberbullying behaviors continues to evolve, universities are challenged to administer policies and procedures that address misconduct that occurs in physical and virtual environments. Qualitative by design, this study examines the perspectives, insights, and understandings of those individuals responsible for developing and operationalizing policies in the areas of cyber-harassment. Accordingly, participants in this research study provided key insights regarding strategies, best practices, and challenges experienced by policy administrators when developing and implementing cyber-harassment, prevention and mitigation policies and programs. Participants’ perspectives provided an insightful understanding of the complexities of interpreting legislation and the implications associated with higher education policy.
Library of Congress Subject Headings
Dissertations (EdD) -- Organizational leadership; Cyberbullying; Education, Higher -- Administration -- Case studies; College discipline
Date of Award
2017
School Affiliation
Graduate School of Education and Psychology
Department/Program
Education
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctorate
Faculty Advisor
Madjidi, Farzin;
Recommended Citation
Schaefer-Ramirez, Victoria Ann, "Cyber-harassment in higher education: a study of institutional policies and procedures" (2017). Theses and Dissertations. 780.
https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/etd/780