Youth in the News
Volume 3, Number 9, May 1-15, 2008
Contents
State Watch
Legal
Research
Government
STATE WATCH
- Youth in Indiana are distributing stickers to stores that sell alcohol to warn people of the penalties for buying alcohol for minors.
- Illinois Governor Blagojevich proposes spending $150 million on programs to curb youth violence, including after-school and other programs.
- In Maryland, advocacy groups and parents of teens killed in alcohol-related incidents urge the Governor to veto a bill that would treat sweetened "alcopop" drinks the same as beer for regulatory and tax purposes.
- A massive sting operation at San Diego State University highlights the issue of growing substance abuse at colleges and universities and emphasizes the need for university cooperation with law enforcement.
LEGAL
- In Wisconsin, teens get tried in Teen Court by a jury of their peers with the hopes of keeping kids from committing more serious crimes as adults.
- In Pennsylvania, the state filed a legal brief requesting the court to overturn hundreds of county juvenile cases where the majority of youth did not have legal representation.
RESEARCH
- A Massachusetts study suggests that restaurant smoking bans may play a significant role in persuading teens not to become smokers.
- A new report reveals that teens that use drugs, such as marijuana, to alleviate feelings of depression are more likely to suffer from serious mental disorders.
- A new study estimates that problem gambling occurs in an estimated 750,000 adolescents and young adults ages 14-21 throughout the country.
GOVERNMENT
- In Alabama, the Juvenile Justice Act, designed to reduce the number of children in state custody who have committed non-criminal offenses and redirect them toward community-based programs, was signed into law.
- In Massachusetts, the House passed an amendment to its budget proposal for the next fiscal year that included an increase of $100,000 for LGBT youth programs.
- A bill in Florida requiring school districts to have policies to prohibit bullying or harassment awaits action by the Governor.
ARTICLES
INDIANA
New Stickers Aimed to Cut Down Distribution of Alcohol to Minors
May 5, 2008
By Nick Cusack, Indiana Daily Student
Some Indiana youths are sticking it to those of age who buy alcohol for their underage counterparts.
Indiana Point of Youth, a youth advisory group aimed at reforming substance-abuse and public-safety laws, started distributing stickers April 24 to stores that sell alcohol, Indiana Criminal Justice Institute Executive Director Neil Moore said. The stickers carry a warning to those considering buying alcohol for minors, saying they are subject to penalties, Moore said.
He said the stickers, which aren’t mandatory for stores to display, are supposed to be placed in prominent areas. They are provided and funded by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute and distributed by the Indiana Point of Youth, who are working with the excise police and local coordinating councils.
Bob Bowden, manager at Village Pantry, 1831 E. 10th St., said he had never heard of the program. He said the program probably wouldn’t work, but any tools he gets to fight crime are helpful.
“I don’t think it would, but it wouldn’t hurt,” he said, referring to the program’s probability of working.
The program comes on the heels of a new law that raises the penalty for providing alcohol to minors from a Class C infraction to a Class B one. That law, which takes effect July 1, raises the fine from up to $500 to up to $1,000, Moore said.
According to the Indiana Point of Youth Web site, the youth organization claims to be a link between young people and policy makers. Its members, high school students from around the state, have campaigned for issues such as keg registration, an increase in tobacco tax and measures meant to curb drug use.
Moore said the group previously worked on “action plans” to battle methamphetamine but last year decided to focus, in part, on underage drinking.
Eight members of Indiana Point of Youth came up with the program and, along with two adult facilitators, went to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute for funding.
Moore said he hopes the program raises awareness, adding he doesn’t know how successful the program will be.
“We’re kind of waiting to see,” he said. “I think it’s a relatively unique program.”
Nora McFarland, a recent IU graduate, said the stickers would have little impact on people’s decisions to buy alcohol for minors. She said that by the time people were in the store, ready to get the alcohol, they had already made a commitment and seeing a sticker would be unlikely to change their minds.
However, she said the penalty might deter people.
Sophomore Ashley Hofecker said the stickers would probably be a deterrent for some. She said some people are afraid of getting into trouble by buying alcohol for minors.
“I know a lot of people who are kind of scared to do that,” she said.
ILLINOIS
Governor Pushes $150M to Curb Youth Violence
May 7, 2008
By The Associated Press, The Courier News
Gov. Rod Blagojevich says he wants to spend $150 million on programs to curb youth violence after a recent spate of shootings in Chicago.
Blagojevich's proposal includes spending $30 million to provide summer jobs for young people statewide. He's also proposing another $20 million for grants to community providers to provide after-school and other programs. And he wants to invest $100 million to revitalize neighborhoods, support local businesses that create jobs and help police departments buy equipment.
Blagojevich had news conference Tuesday morning in Chicago to discuss his plan.
He says the money would be part of his proposed statewide construction program.
MARYLAND
Groups, Parents Urge Maryland Gov. to Veto Alcopops Bill
May 9, 2008
Join Together.org
Advocacy groups and parents of teens killed in alcohol-related incidents this week sent a pair of Mother's Day appeals to Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley urging him to veto a bill that would treat sweetened "alcopop" drinks the same as beer for regulatory and tax purposes.
The groups called on O'Malley to kill SB 745, an alcohol-industry backed measure that seeks to enshrine sweet alcoholic drinks like Mike's Lemonade as beer in state regulations, even though the products often carry the names of liquor companies like Bacardi and Seagram's and get much of their alcohol content from distilling, not brewing. As in many states, beer is also taxed at a much lower rate than liquor in Maryland.
A letter signed by the parents of eight Maryland teens killed in underage-drinking incidents urged O'Malley to "stop this dangerous special-interest bill" that they said helps the alcohol industry target young drinkers.
"You and only you hold the power to stop this terrible bill," the parents wrote. "We do not want another mother or father to suffer as we have and celebrate Mother’s Day in such permanent pain. We ask that you help prevent more deaths and injuries by standing up to the alcohol lobby and veto the alcopops legislation now."
In a separate letter signed by groups like MADD, Students Against Destructive Behaviors (SADD), the American Public Health Association, and the American College of Emergency Physicians, advocates praised O'Malley for postponing a scheduled signing of the bill.
"Alcopops are not beer," the letter stated. "They are far more closely associated with a low alcohol spirits than a beer product. The alcohol content it is masked by sweet, fruity additive flavors, which has led some to refer to these them as 'kiddie booze.'"
"Just because other states have this law as a result of a coordinated campaign by the alcohol industry is no excuse for signing this bill," the groups wrote. "Let us work together to make Maryland the leader in the nation on preventing underage drinking. Your veto of SB 745 is the first step."
CALIFORNIA
Behind College Raid, Rising Drug Use on Campus
May 9, 2008
By Daniel B. Wood, The Christian Science Monitor
The arrest this week of 96 suspects on drug-related charges, including 75 students, after a six-month sting operation at San Diego State University is shining a fresh spotlight on the issue of growing substance abuse at America's colleges and universities.
The incident also highlights the growing sophistication of on-campus drug sellers and the need for university officials and police to broaden their response capabilities to meet the growing challenge.
"The drug problem on American campuses has become so extensive that more and more university police are finding they don't have the manpower to fight it by themselves," says Joseph Califano, founding chairman of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA). He says the stakes have risen in recent years with so many more hard drugs being used and sold. Local university police have noticed a big uptick in the numbers of related crimes, such as fights, robbery, property damage, and vandalism.
While the proportion of students who drink and binge has remained constant from 1993 to 2005, rates of daily marijuana use have more than doubled during that period, and use of other illegal drugs like cocaine and heroin have risen 52 percent, according to a CASA study. Just under half of full-time college students indulged in illegal drugs, the study found.
Increasingly in recent years, and especially since the shootings at Virginia Tech last year, campus police at colleges and universities have forged better links with law enforcement.
Coastal Carolina University and Horry-Georgetown Technical College announced last week that they will work with a state court to develop a task force focused on local crime. The idea was prompted by a raid by local and state law officials in which three university students were charged with drug-related crimes.
Southern Methodist University last summer beefed up its own police department and started meeting every three months with Dallas police and a North Texas federal drug force. The hope is to come up with better ways to respond to on-campus challenges such as drug sales.
"We have been encouraging our campus security institutions to be more proactive with safety and security in reaching out to other law enforcement entities," says Steven Healy, director of public safety at Princeton University and immediate past president of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. The organization encourages strong relationships with the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other federal entities. "We are trying to get campuses to ramp up readiness and resources by planning and sharing in diverse ways."
In the run-up to this week's massive raid at San Diego State, campus police began investigating the cocaine overdose of a female student a year ago. They found such a large network of student traffickers that they approached the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for help. "For an agency our size, it was difficult to devote the resources we needed," says Lt. Lamine Secka of the university police. "The DEA was great." Undercover DEA agents infiltrated a drug ring that stretched to seven fraternities. Authorities seized more than 130 drug purchases as well as weapons and $60,000 in cash.
Some parents and drug groups criticized the raid. The DEA "should be targeting large-scale traffickers and distributors," says Margaret Dooley-Sammuli of the Drug Policy Alliance in southern California. "Sadly, though, many of the college students arrested will have their prospects dimmed and will spend the rest of their lives being discriminated against for a felony drug conviction."
But Eileen Zeidler, a spokeswoman for the San Diego DEA, praised the school for "addressing a problem that is rampant on US campuses."
WISCONSIN
Teens Get Tried by Jury of Peers in Jefferson County's 'Teen Court'
May 9, 2008
WISN.com
There is a courtroom in Jefferson County where the defendants, the jurors and the attorneys are all teenagers.
It's called Teen Court.
The idea is to keep kids from committing more serious crimes when they're adults.
But it also saves tax dollars, helps the community and hopefully leaves a lasting impression on youngsters who may have taken their first step down the wrong path.
The day that 12 News reporter Mike Miller visited the courtroom, the defendant was 15-year-old Jose, who was charged with disorderly conduct for fighting at school.
Teen Court handles cases that could clog up the regular circuit court system and cost tax dollars -- crimes such as under-age drinking and retail theft.
If defendants admit they are guilty, and screening agencies think they're right for Teen Court, they can have the charges erased from their juvenile record and avoid the sometimes costly fine by completing the sentence they get in Teen Court.
The "judge" when Miller was there was from the district attorney's office. The kids acting as jury members and attorneys always change, but they've all been through the court before as defendants.
Court duty and community service are required parts of the sentence for everybody. One 11-year-old juror went through Teen Court for possession of stolen property. A friend of his stole a bike and stashed it at his house.
Teen Court organizers said when kids are judged by adults, they often just resent the punishment.
"'The police had it out for me. The principal had it out for me. The judge is not fair.' Those are the things we hear when kids go through the traditional court system. But when they're tried in front of a jury of their peers, they tend to say, 'OK, well, I did make a mistake,'" said Monica Wagner of Opportunities Inc.
"The statistics show this is an extremely effective program, and we wouldn't be using it and taking advantage of it if it wasn't," Jefferson County Assistant District Attorney Peter Tempelis said.
Parents must accompany defendants to teen court, and they are called to testify.
After hearing testimony, the jury left the room to deliberate with organizers on hand in case any questions come up. Their verdict was that Jose must serve three terms on the teen court jury, do 10 hours of community service work, write an essay about the penalty for disorderly conduct in adult court, plus complete an education group regarding anger management, and write a letter of apology to his mother.
Jose and others who've been through Teen Court said it has taught them a lesson.
Taxpayers save money by not having those cases in regular court.
The community benefits because the kids are sentenced to do things like work in nursing homes or clean up litter.
The defendants usually feel the sentence is fair because it comes from a true jury of their peers.
PENNSYLVANIA
State Files Brief to Contest Juvie Cases
May 13, 2008
By Terrie Morgan-Besecker, Timesleader.com
The state Department of Public Welfare on Monday followed through on plans to file a legal brief in support of a juvenile advocacy group’s request to have the state Supreme Court intervene in Luzerne County juvenile court cases.
The brief, filed by Allen Warshaw, chief counsel for DPW, says the high number of youths appearing in Luzerne County juvenile court without attorneys indicates there has been a “systematic deprivation of constitutional rights” of juveniles accused of committing crimes. That deprivation has likely contributed to the county’s high rate for out-of-home placement of delinquent youths.
The brief supports a court petition filed by the Juvenile Law Center of Philadelphia, which asks the Supreme Court to overturn dispositions in more than 500 cases involving youths who appeared before juvenile court Judge Mark Ciavarella without an attorney in 2005 and 2006. Data collected by the Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission show more than 50 percent of youths were not represented by attorneys.
DPW maintains the lack of legal representation is at least partially responsible for the significant disparity in out-of-home placements for Luzerne County youths compared to other counties. Statistics from the commission show an average of 24.5 percent of youths were placed in residential treatment facilities from 2002 to 2006, nearly 2 times the state average, the petition says.
“The dramatic differential suggests many of the Luzerne County out-of-home placements were inappropriate and therefore harmful,” the legal brief says. “There can be no serious question that the rate of such placements would have been significantly lower if more juveniles had been represented by counsel.”
The Supreme Court does not accept all cases that are brought before it. DPW filed the brief in hopes it will convince the court to take jurisdiction of the case the Juvenile Law Center initiated on behalf of the youths.
RESEARCH
Study: Restaurant Tobacco Bans Influence Teen Smoking
May 5, 2008
By Steve LeBlanc, Associated Press Writer
A Massachusetts study suggests that restaurant smoking bans may play a big role in persuading teens not to become smokers. Youths who lived in towns with strict bans were 40 percent less likely to become regular smokers than those in communities with no bans or weak ones, the researchers reported in the May issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
The findings back up the idea that smoking bans discourage tobacco use in teens by sending the message that smoking is frowned upon in the community, as well as simply by reducing their exposure to smokers in public places, said Dr. Michael Siegel, of Boston University School of Public Health, and the study's lead author.
"When kids grow up in an environment where they don't see smoking, they are going to think it's not socially acceptable," he said. "If they perceive a lot of other people are smoking, they think it's the norm."
Siegel and his colleagues tracked 2,791 children between ages 12 and 17 who lived throughout Massachusetts. There were no statewide restrictions when the study began in 2001 but about 100 cities and towns had enacted a hodgepodge of laws restricting smoking in workplaces, bars or restaurants.
The teens were followed for four years to see how many tried smoking and how many eventually became smokers.
Overall, about 9 percent became smokers _ defined as smoking more than 100 cigarettes.
In towns without bans or where smoking was restricted to a designated area, that rate was nearly 10 percent. But in places with tough bans prohibiting smoking in restaurants, just under 8 percent of the teens became smokers.
The study found that having a smoker as a parent or a close friend was a factor in predicting whether children experiment with cigarettes. But strong bans had a bigger influence on whether smoking grew into a habit, reducing their chances of becoming smokers by 40 percent.
"There is really no other smoking intervention program that could cut almost in half the rate of smoking," Siegel said.
Age was also a factor. Smoking bans had a greater effect on younger teens than on older teens.
The researchers said it's not clear whether strong bans would have the same effect in other states since local towns adopted their restrictions as part of an aggressive anti-smoking campaign throughout the state.
A statewide workplace smoking ban that included restaurants went into effect in mid-2004. Since then, high school smoking rates in Massachusetts have continued to decline, from about 21 percent of students in 2005 to about 18 percent in 2007.
Many restaurant owners fought the ban, saying it could drive away diners, according to Janine Harrod, director of government affairs for the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, which represents 2,000 restaurant owners.
While some restaurants were hurt initially, the effects have eased over time since the ban applies to everyone, she said.
Bill Phelps, a spokesman for Altria, parent company of cigarette-maker Philip Morris USA, said the study shows that the reasons teens take up smoking are complex.
"There is no single reason why young people engage in risky behaviors like smoking," he said. "We believe that there should be a multifaceted approach to address youth smoking."
At least 23 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico require most public places and workplaces, including restaurants and bars, to be smoke free, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Another nine states ban smoking in workplaces but have various exemptions for restaurants or bars.
"We already have more than enough evidence why we should pass these smoke-free laws, but certainly this study should help push them along," said Danny McGoldick of the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.
RESEARCH
"Teen Marijuana Use Worsens Depression: An Analysis of Recent Data Shows 'Self-Medicating' Could Actually Make Things Worse"
May 9, 2008
By Jennifer de Vallance, Office of National Drug Control Policy
A new report from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy shows that millions of teens are experiencing weeks of hopelessness and loss of interest in daily normal activities and many of these depressed teens are using marijuana and other drugs, making their situation worse. The report reveals that marijuana use can worsen depression and lead to more serious mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, anxiety, and even suicide. Click here to view the report.
RESEARCH
Estimated 750,000 Problem Gamblers Among America's Youth
May 7, 2008
ScienceDaily
Gambling activity is widespread among U.S. adolescents and young adults ages 14 through 21, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions (RIA).
Results of the first national survey of its kind show problem gambling -- described as gambling with three or more negative consequences (for example, gambling more than you intended or stealing money to gamble) in the past year -- occurring at a rate of 2.1 percent among youth 14 to 21. That percentage projects to approximately 750,000 young problem gamblers nationwide.
In addition, 11 percent of the youth surveyed gambled twice per week or more, a rate that describes frequent gambling. Sixty-eight percent of the youth interviewed reported that they had gambled at least once in the past year.
"In a society where young people are increasingly exposed to gambling influences, there is cause for concern," said John W. Welte, Ph.D., principal investigator on the study.
The results were available on line in December 2007 and will be published in the June 2008 issue of the Journal of Gambling Studies.
A total of 2,274 U.S. youth were surveyed from August 2005 through January 2007 for this study. Interviews were conducted in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The national, random-digit-dial telephone survey was sampled from all phone numbers in the U.S.
The rates of problem gambling found in the study are not, in fact, as high as the rates of problem gambling found in eight previous studies conducted in smaller jurisdictions by other research teams, according to Welte. Five of those studies were school surveys that obtained data only from youth attending that school or residing in one state or one region of the country. Others were telephone surveys using age-targeted population samples. Welte said, "The 2.1 percent rate of problem gambling for our national study has a 95 percent confidence level, making it unlikely that we found a lower problem gambling rate by chance."
Welte is a senior research scientist at RIA and a national expert in the epidemiology of substance abuse and gambling. His co-investigator on the study is Grace M. Barnes, Ph.D., a senior research scientist at RIA and a national expert in substance use pertaining to adolescents, parenting and families.
"As might be expected, all statistically significant results showed that greater gambling involvement is associated with aging into an adult status," Welte stated. "In fact, gambling may be associated with the transition into adulthood."
The RIA researchers examined pivotal times of life for youth (employment, student status, living independently from parents, and marriage) and found gambling increased with each major life change. Those who worked full-time were more likely to gamble, those who were not students were more likely to gamble frequently (twice a week or more) and those who lived independently were more likely to gamble and to be problem gamblers (three or more negative consequences during the past year).
"We compared problem gambling rates among youth with problem gambling rates among adults from our national study of U.S. adults in 2000," Welte said. "As far as gender, it seems likely that females' gambling involvement tends to emerge in adulthood, while male involvement can be high in adolescence. We found identical problem gambling rates for adult males and young males (4 percent). We found adult females gambling rates were much higher (3 percent) than that of young females (less than one-tenth of a percent). In other words, problem gambling is almost non-existent among female adolescents and young adults."
Black youth were less likely to have gambled than white youth; but if they gambled, it was likely to be more frequent (30 percent vs. 12 percent respectively). Asians as a racial group showed the lowest gambling involvement. Native Americans were found to have a higher rate of frequent gambling (28 percent) when compared to whites (9 percent) as well as to be higher on measures of problem gambling. This could be a reflection of the rapid spread of legal gambling venues on Native American reservations. Generally, low socioeconomic groups were less like to gamble, but if they did, were more likely to be problem gamblers. The highest socioeconomic groups are associated with the lowest gambling involvement.
Religion was related to having gambled in the past year with every religious group except Catholics, who were less likely than Protestants (except Baptists), to have gambled at all. Other religions (which include Moslem, Hindu, Buddhist, Jehovah's Witnesses and others) had a lower rate of having gambling in the past year (42 percent), but if they gambled, they had higher rates of frequent gambling than any other religious group. Similarly, Baptists were less likely than other Protestants to have gambled in the past year, but if they gambled, they had higher rates of frequent gambling. The study was funded by a $1.8 million grant from the National Institute on Mental Health.
ALABAMA
Governor Signs Juvenile Justice Act Pushed by Chief Justice Cobb
May 12, 2008
The Montgomery Independent
Legislation designed to reform Alabama's juvenile justice system was signed into law by Governor Bob Riley Monday. The new law is designed to reduce the number of children in state custody and redirect them toward community-based programs.
"Today Alabama's juvenile justice system is flooded with low-risk children in expensive institutions. Many of those children have never even committed a crime. As recently as two years ago at least 79 percent of children admitted to the Alabama Department of Youth Services were locked up for non-violent misbehavior," Governor Riley said. "By freeing up resources to develop community-based alternatives, the state can better serve these children who need assistance. With early intervention, we can stop their decline before they become a threat to public safety. And we can do is in a more cost-effective manner that gets better results."
The new law prohibits juvenile judges from locking up certain children those classified as "in need of supervision" who have committed non-criminal offenses such as truancy, running away and missing curfew. Instead, these low-risk juvenile offenders will participate in community-based programs designed to change their behavior.
Incarcerating juveniles for non-criminal behavior increases the likelihood of more serious criminal behavior in the future. "Children in detention gravitate toward the worst possible role models. That's why juvenile detention centers have been referred to as highly effective crime schools.' Often these children return home even more likely to break the law," said Governor Riley.
Joining Governor Riley at a bill signing ceremony in the State Capitol were several judges who helped push for the legislation, including Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb, who was the driving force behind the bill, Jefferson County Family Court Judge Brian Huff, Tuscaloosa County Circuit Judge Philip Lisenby, and retired Morgan County District Court Judge David Breland.
Governor Riley and Justice Cobb began their bipartisan efforts to get the bill passed when they visited the Morgan County System of Services program in January. The program allows juveniles who get into trouble to bypass the Department of Youth Services and instead participate in community-based programs. Both Governor Riley and Justice Cobb praised it as a model program the state should follow.
MASSACHUSETTS
House Passes Additional $100,000 Increase for Youth Programs
May 2, 2008
By Ethan Jacobs, Bay Windows
Yesterday evening the House passed an amendment to its budget proposal for the next fiscal year that included increased dollars for the Department of Education’s (DOE) funding for LGBT youth programs.
"It included an extra $100,000 for the GLBT youth in the DOE line item," said Daniel Glasser, legislative aide to Rep. Carl Sciortino (D-Somerville), who filed the original amendment to increase the funding. That bump brings the DOE’s total budget for LGBT youth programming up to $300,000. DOE spends much of its LGBT youth funding by supporting gay/straight alliances at public schools throughout the state.
That increase came a day after the House passed an amendment adding another $100,000 to the Department of Public Health’s LGBT youth programs.
The DOE budget was the last item on the agenda of LGBT advocates during the House budget process. Next they turn their attention to the Senate, which will issue its own budget proposal sometime in the next few months. The two chambers will then work to find a compromise between their two budgets in a conference committee.
FLORIDA
Anti-bullying Bill Tries to Keep Peace in School
May 5, 2008
By Charlie Patton, The Florida Times-Union
In June 2005, 15-year-old Cape Coral resident Jeff Johnston hanged himself, leaving a note that said he "would never get over the eighth grade."
Hank Costen, a Clay County resident whose family lived next door to Johnston's family then, described the young man in an e-mail as a "somewhat quiet and reserved" but "brilliant" youngster who never talked about his troubles and "must have internalized everything."
What he had internalized was relentless bullying by a schoolmate that drove him to take his own life.
Last week the Florida Senate unanimously passed a bill named the Jeffrey Johnston Stand Up for All Students Act, aimed at preventing that kind of school bullying.
School districts would be required to have policies to prohibit the bullying or harassment of any public school student or employee during school or school-sponsored activities. They also would be required to report instances to appropriate law enforcement agencies and the parents of both the bully and the victim.
The bill, which had already unanimously passed in the state House, now goes to Gov. Charlie Crist, who is expected to sign it into law.
Following the recommendation of the Florida Department of Education, which had anticipated the bill's eventual passage, Duval County has already made bullying and harassment a significant offense against the school conduct code, said Kathy Bowles, the school system's supervisor for Safe and Healthy Schools.
Procedures for enforcing the policy and training teachers and administrators on how to enforce the policy will probably be the next step, she said.
Witnesses to bullying
Students at Jacksonville's Lake Shore Middle School said Friday they've seen bullying take place, with the victims usually smaller, quieter, weaker kids.
"You see someone pushing somebody else around," said Courtney Maple, 15.
Her biggest concern, she said, is that a victim of bullying could be pushed so far as to retaliate violently. The Columbine school massacre has been cited as an example of victims wreaking indiscriminate vengeance.
But while students see bullying, most of it takes place out of the sight of teachers and administrators, said Kyle Clark, 14, who admitted he'd be unlikely to go to a teacher or school official to complain about bullying.
Eboni Pierce, 13, agreed, saying she couldn't seeing herself reporting bullying even though "it would be the right thing to do."
Meanwhile the victims are not likely to say anything either, said Sean Baker, 14.
"Kids are afraid to tell the teachers because if the word gets out, it could create even more problems on the street," he said.
Still, he said the anti-bullying bill is a step in the right direction that could make "schools a lot safer."
For a bill that passed both legislative bodies unanimously, it took a long time to win approval.
Some supporters of the bill attribute earlier resistance to the fact it was once perceived primarily as an effort to protect gay students.
Specific protection for gays
Garrett Boardman, who is youth activism coordinator for the Jacksonville Area Sexual Minority Youth Network and a co-chairman of Jacksonville's chapter of Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, said he's spent the last eight years traveling regularly to Tallahassee to lobby for the bill.
"We really just feel that every student should feel safe in school," he said.
The Jacksonville organizations are two of about 100 across the state that joined the Florida Safe Schools Coalition, which pushed for the passage of the bill with Equality Florida.
Some of the coalition's members are primarily gay rights organizations, but many others, such as the Pace Center for Girls, are not.
The bill approved this year, unlike earlier versions, does not mention protected categories including gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered students.
That worries Jimmy Midyette, a Jacksonville lawyer who is a member of the JASMYN board.
"I think it's good that the Legislature did finally pass an anti-bullying bill," he said. "I'm disappointed there's no mention of gender identity and sexual orientation. ... To protect everything is to protect nothing."
But Alain Raymond, North Florida field organizer for Equality Florida, said that discussions of the bill in the House and Senate made it "crystal clear that the legislative intent" was to protect gays.
Laura Lane, a former Jacksonville teacher who is a member GLSEN, said the bill should accomplish its purpose because the legislative intent was clear.
"I feel like we did win," she said. "I feel like we got the camel's nose into the tent."
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