An anti-bullying bill that would require schools to deal more harshly with bullies and form bully prevention plans will be debated in the Massachusetts State Senate on Thursday.
The Senate bill, An Act Relative to Bullying in Schools (S.2283), covers both bullying and cyber-bullying. It defines bullying as “ the repeated use […] of a written, verbal, or electronic expression, or a physical act or gesture” that causes “physical or emotional harm,” creates “reasonable fear of harm,” results in a “hostile environment,” infringes on the rights of another student or disrupts the “orderly operation of the school.”
If the bill is enacted, schools would be required to draft bullying prevention and intervention plans. Employees of the school would be required to notify the principal in they event they witness bullying. Principals would be required to take “appropriate disciplinary action,” notify both the victim’s parents as well as the perpetrator’s parents and if necessary “notify the local law enforcement agency.”
As of Monday, several legislators have also suggested that the bill be amended on Thursday to declare bullying a criminal offense.
Until now, Massachusetts is one of nine states to have no legislation relating to bullying. According to BullyPolice.org, an online website that grades anti-bullying legislation, in 2003 an attempt was made to pass an anti-bullying law but it failed to be enacted.
Support for the bill was sparked by Phoebe Prince’s suicide in January after she was allegedly bullied by her classmates at South Hadley High School. According to the Boston Herald, the bill is endorsed by several organizations including the Anti-Defamation League and the Massachusetts Teachers Association.
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