New Jersey Passes Anti-Bullying Legislation

[Black King]

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New Jersey Passes Anti-Bullying Legislation

Submitted by LiveScience Staff

posted: 22 November 2010 06:15 pm ET

In the wake of the death of Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi, the New Jersey state Senate and Assembly passed an "Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights" today (Nov. 22).

According to nj.com, the bill would require most public school employees to get training on how to spot bullying. The law also mandates "school safety teams" to review bullying complaints. The state Board of Education would grade schools and districts on their efforts to combat bullying.

Researchers and anti-bullying experts advise that adults take an active role in quashing bullying behavior.

The bill was in the works before the death of Clementi, who committed suicide in September after his roommate streamed video of one of his sexual encounters over the Internet. According to the new bill, which now goes to N.J. Gov. Chris Christie for signing, public colleges and universities must include policies on bullying in their codes of conduct.

Finally

[Caroline Forbes]

You know, that's great and all, but why does it take legislation to get school administrators to address the problem?

I keep going back to an incident at my local high school a year or so ago where a girl was TORMENTED by a couple other girls who went so far as to spit on her and set her hair on fire. When the girl's parents complained, the administrators told them to move her to a different school, rather than punishing the two bitches who were doing it.

[Jill Monroe]

Oh absolutely. Legislation IS good...BUT the problem HAS to be addressed from the ground up. PARENTS AND ADMINISTRATORS. Admins at school take this 1950's mentality to this like its a "passage of childhood" and that is just out of touch and irresponsible.

PARENTS needs to realize that their child (if the child is a victim) needs HELP. Telling them to "man up" or whatever is not the answer. some kids just dont have that within them to fight back and kids today take bullying to a whole new level. its to a point where even out of school isnt safe thanks to online.

if laws are going to be passed, they should be aimed at forcing schools to do things differently and punishing those who dont comply.

and for the victims who DIE because of this and if the parents had gone to the school for help and got none...the parents need to sue the hell out of them.

I keep thinking about that recent news about the girl who died in ohio...bullied to death, and the bullies showed up at her funeral to mock her AT HER FUNERAL!? ...by the goddess...if that were MY child!? I wouldve been going to jail for ASSAULT if not WORSE cause i damn sure wouldve WENT IN on those little bastards right then and there.

[Caroline Forbes]

I just don't know what to do anymore except throw my hands up in the air - things just seem to have gotten so bad and I have no idea what can be done to change it frankly. Hopefully it's one of those things where the next generation does a 180 in behavior from their parents and we go back to bringing kids up right and being parents not friends with our kids.