Landmark anti-bullying legislation is signed into law

Yesterday, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed landmark anti-bullying legislation in Massachusetts schools.

Specifically, the new law increases efforts to educate students about bullying including regulations on student handbooks and classroom instruction; institutes new rules and expectations for reporting incidents of bullying; provides new opportunities for training for all adults in schools on how to identify, prevent and manage incidents of bullying; and enhances efforts across state and local education, health and law enforcement agencies to build more collaboration to ensure the new efforts are effective.

The mandated reporting requirements, anti-bullying curricula at all grade levels, and cyber-bullying components make this the most comprehensive and one of the strictest bills in the nation,

And it’s not just his legislation that is so hopeful, but Governor Patrick's words to the people of Massachusetts could not be more honest and correct – in that parents need to do their jobs, incidents be addressed immediately and reported as a mandate, and for everyone to model the behaviors we want to see.

Governor Patrick understands that bullying and cyberbullying must be addressed at all levels: at home, in school and in our communities. KUDOS to Governor Patrick.

Full disclosure: These beliefs and practice also reflect that of STOMP Out Bullying, a signature program of Love Our Children USA (headquartered in New York), of which I am the founder and chief executive officer.

And it can’t stop with Massachusetts, New York must insist on the very same legislation. Currently, New York has no bullying or cyberbullying prevention legislation. Nor do seven other states in the U.S.

The five worst States, according to population, student enrollment and Dan Olweus, Ph.D., Study Percentages (1982-3) are: (46) Illinois, (47) Florida, (48) New York, (49) Texas & (50) California

The five worst States for bullying, according to surveys, are: (46) Connecticut, (47) Maine, (48) Washington, (49) Montana & (50) New Hampshire.

Missouri has a cyberbullying clause but no anti-bullying law.

For those of us living in states without anti-bullying legislation, write to your legislators demanding the right legislation for our children, our families and our communities.

Let us all model the behaviors we want to see. That means educating our kids at home and in school. Collectively, we can no longer sweep this under the rug. Not our schools and not the parents of bullies.

To reach New York State Legislators see below:

•Ackerman, Gary, New York, 5th
•Arcuri, Michael A., New York, 24th
•Bishop, Timothy, New York, 1st
•Clarke, Yvette D., New York, 11th
•Crowley, Joseph, New York, 7th
•Engel, Eliot, New York, 17th
•Hall, John J., New York, 19th
•Higgins, Brian, New York, 27th
•Hinchey, Maurice, New York, 22nd
•Israel, Steve, New York, 2nd
•King, Pete, New York, 3rd
•Lee, Christopher J., New York, 26th
•Lowey, Nita, New York, 18th
•Maffei, Daniel B., New York, 25th
•Massa, Eric J.J., New York, 29th - Vacancy
•McCarthy, Carolyn, New York, 4th
•McMahon, Michael E., New York, 13th
•Maloney, Carolyn, New York, 14th
•Meeks, Gregory W., New York, 6th
•Murphy, Scott, New York, 20th
•Nadler, Jerrold, New York, 8th
•Owens, Bill, New York, 23rd
•Rangel, Charles B., New York, 15th
•Serrano, José E., New York, 16th
•Slaughter, Louise, New York, 28th
•Tonko, Paul D., New York, 21st
•Towns, Edolphus, New York, 10th
•Velázquez, Nydia M., New York, 12th
•Weiner, Anthony D., New York, 9th

For other states click here

For more on bullying and cyberbullying prevention visit STOMP Out Bullying and Love Our Children USA.

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