State Laws and Policies to Address Bullying in Schools

TLDR

Recent state legislation has surged to address bullying among school children. The study aims to describe, compare, and contrast current state bullying laws, analyze their stated purposes and likely consequences, and recommend actions for legislators and policymakers. The authors examine legislators' definitions of bullying, legislative findings on its nature and seriousness, and review model policies from several states. The paper recommends actions for legislators and policymakers to support educators in developing effective bullying prevention policies and programs.

Abstract

This article focuses on the recent flurry of legislation in states to address bullying among school children. The primary purpose is to describe, compare, and contrast current state laws about bullying. Specifically, a description is provided of legislators' definitions of bullying and legislative findings about the nature and seriousness of bullying. Next, an analysis is conducted of the stated purposes of these laws and their likely consequences. Following is a brief review of several states' efforts to develop model policies about bullying. Finally, recommendations are made about actions that legislators and other policy makers can take to best support educators in the development of effective bullying prevention policies and programs.