Issue link: https://let.epubxp.com/i/169452
COVER STORY I "Cyberbullying is when minors use digital technology as a weapon to target and hurt another minor." — Parry Aftab, lawyer, child advocate and cyberlaw expert t was the end of the day with the last day of school just around the corner when a young girl came into the office in tears. Seeking the help of one of Auburn (NY) High School's School Resource Officers, hysteria threatened to overtake her. Officer Jim Slayton listened as she told her tale. She had sent a nude photo to this boy she was dating. A friend came to her and told her that it was now being sent around the school. Slayton recognized this behavior as sexting, and knew it can have severe consequences—not only for the girl—but for others involved as well. "We hustled that day and found the four individuals who it had been sent to," he explains. "Two didn't even have their phones turned on yet. We had them just delete anything that came from the phone number without even opening it up. We went to the boy and we explained the law to him and his guardian. There was a sense of urgency. We only had an hour." Once people go home, he says the situation escalates as the photo is viewed, shown around and sent to more people. The Auburn Police Department had integrated cyberbullying/sexting education into their curriculum. The students knew about the issues and who they could go to if they encountered any problems, and the officers knew the relevant laws and techniques on how to deal with it when it came up. "It shows the relationship the officer has with the students," Sergeant Greg Dann, Auburn's SRO supervisor states. "They were able to come to them and ask for help. When they came back and told her they were able to get to all the phones and the photo was deleted, you could see a weight was lifted. We got a phone call from the parents thanking us." Auburn Police Department is one of many law enforcement agencies, along with numerous school administrators, teachers, parents and community members concerned with the problems modern technology has created, especially in reference to minors. What is it? Many definitions exist to describe harmful and/or criminal behaviors by minors utilizing technology. Two of the most pervasive are cyberbullying and sexting. Parry Aftab, a U.S. lawyer, child advocate and cyberlaw expert, developed and runs StopCyberbullying.org the most popular cyberbullying prevention website online. Aftab defines cyberbullying as "any cyber-communication or publicaLaw Enforcement Technology 25