School officials can request social media passwords Published Feb. 11, 2015 By Staff Sgt Stephenie Wade 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- This year, a new Illinois law took effect allowing school administrators access to a student's social media profile if the student is being investigated for cyber-bullying. As long as the member is a student, the law applies. According to Illinois legislators, school districts and universities in Illinois can demand a student's social media password. The new law states that a school may do so if it has a reasonable cause to believe that a student's account on a social network contains evidence that a student has violated a school's disciplinary rule of policy, even if it's posted after school hours. The Illinois state school code prohibits bullying via written or electronic media, and the school district has the right to suspend and in some cases expel students who cyber-bully. William White, Scott Family Advocacy Program Outreach Manager said, "Cyber-bullying is a threat to the psychological well-being of children throughout the world. Parents need to be aware that cyber-bullying may involve various mediums, to include personal computers and cell phones. The consequences of cyber-bullying are no less significant for a child's development than those of traditional bullying; being a victim of cyber-bullying has been associated with increased levels of emotional distress, social anxiety, and low self-esteem." Cyber-bullying is a growing problem and the motivation for this behavior can be a number of things including trying to find acceptance, retaliation, or related to ethnicity, culture, religion, physical characteristics, or a backlash after a sour ending to a relationship, according to White. Here are some examples of ways mediums are used to cyber-bully: Spreading rumors online or through texts; Posting hurtful or threatening messages on social networking sites or web pages; Stealing a person's account information to break into their account and send damaging messages; Pretending to be someone else online to hurt another person; Taking unflattering pictures of a person and spreading them through cell phones or the Internet; Sexting or circulating sexually suggestive pictures or messages about a person; and Sending mean messages or threats to a person's email account or cell phone. According to cyber-bullying statistics from the i-SAFE foundation, more than half of adolescents and teens have been bullied online, and about the same number have engaged in cyber-bullying. Also, more than one in three young people have experienced cyber threats online, and well over half of young people do not tell their parents when cyber-bullying occurs. If a child is being bullied, the first step as a parent is to speak with the child's teacher and principal. "It is essential that parents educate their children about appropriate online behaviors and monitor their child's online activities," said White. "This can be done informally and formally by cultivating and maintaining an open communication with your children, so that they are ready and willing to come to you whenever they experience something unpleasant or distressing online. Whenever I do a violence prevention class for youth, I always stress the importance of parents knowing what their child is doing online, establishing certain rules on your child's use of cell phones and computers and parents taking advantage of the online tools that help keep children safe." The Family Advocacy Program highlights Teen Dating Violence Prevention Month with a Teen Summit Feb. 26, from 4-7 p.m. at the Patriots Landing Community Center. The event will have information, education, and prevention material on cyber-bullying. For information contact Family Advocacy Office at 256-7203.