The Chicago Public Schools are cracking down on cyberbullies—those students who send abusive e-mail messages to their victims, spread embarrassing messages about students through Facebook pages, or encourage violence via text messaging.

So reports the Chicago Sun-Times, which this week reported that CPS has adopted new guidelines to bring into the 21^st century its policies on bullying.

Under new rules approved by the Chicago school board, the newspaper states, “cyberbullying will be considered as serious an offense as burglary, aggravated assault, gang activity, drug use or more traditional forms of bullying. Students who use computers or phones to ‘stalk, harass, bully or otherwise intimidate others’ will be suspended for five to 10 days and could be referred for expulsion.

“The details will automatically be referred to Chicago Police, who could hit students with criminal charges.”

It’s not as if CPS has just discovered this issue—or that school administrators haven’t been responding to electronic forms of bullying.

That said, CPS spokeswoman Monique Bond told the Sun-Times, until now “the issue was a ‘gray area’ . . . with some schools punishing students under existing anti-bullying rules, while others held back amid confusion over their role.”

The new rules clarify expected responses, she says. “We needed some clarity on where the limits are.”

CPS isn’t on the cutting edge of this issue. Other school systems already have modified their student code of conduct to reflect the new technologies that are changing the social world of students.

But it’s worth applauding the school system’s actions—and encouraging others who are lagging in their response. Studies show a sizable percentage of students are subjected to electronic abuse. A student’s head is morphed onto a naked body and sent to friends. Hurtful rumors are spread. Students are encouraged on social-networking sites to offer negative opinions about a victim.

The problem is extensive enough that it’s an issue of note in a recent survey of school attorneys conducted by ASBJ and NSBA’s Council of School Attorneys. The findings will be published in the ASBJ’s October issue.

For school attorneys (and, of course, school boards), the dilemma is that school leaders must tread carefully between combating school-related bullying and respecting the First Amendment rights of students outside school.

But, although some issues likely will be decided in the courts, more school leaders are concluding that the issue is serious enough—cyberbullying having lead to suicides and school fights—that school districts can prove a legitimate need to act.

So good for CPS. And, perhaps, a good time to suggest you take a second look at how your school policies on cyberbullying.

Del Stover, Senior Editor