Policy wise there’s not much, I believe we can do about this, unless there are threats of violence. The issue is really complex. Students have a right to speak their minds, but shouldn’t a faculty member have the right to feel safe in their classroom. The more I think about it I find myself thinking about how online communication de-humanizes discussion. In a face to face talk, you have to acknowledge the other person humanity and conform to social norms of good behavior. Online this a different story. This is doubly true for anonymous communication. There are no social norms or repercussions. There’s an initial reaction to attempt to legislate behavior, but I find that a distasteful solution. I’d rather see new social conventions with social repercussions that attempt to solve this problem. Essentially, collectively we have to start denigrate this kind of activity in a way that makes people feel bad for doing it. I’d recommend being active in class at saying that this is not acceptable behavior. I think it’d be best explain that nothing is truly anonymous even online, and your words can haunt you.
A New Faculty Challenge: Fending Off Abuse on Yik Yak – Faculty – The Chronicle of Higher Education.