School Violence Project

Legislatures Take On the Schoolyard Bully

By Julie Thomerson

Excerpt from State Legislatures magazine, July/August 2001

Littleton, Colorado: Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, perpetrators of deadly Columbine shooting, were later described as kids that did not "fit in" and were teased for being different.

As long as there have been schoolyards, there have been bullies. But the consequences have become increasingly more serious. While bullying may be just a part of what happens at school, when certain students are harassed too much their rage may turn, in rare circumstances, to murder. According to recent Secret Service research, most school shooting incidents have been motivated by revenge.

Recognizing that bullying can be the precursor to more serious violence, legislatures are struggling with how to define it, how far to go to stop it, and how much discretion to allow local schools. In general, bullying usually refers to threats or physical actions that either harm someone else or make another person afraid of harm, but there is no standard definition. Some states also include bullying in their definitions of "hazing" or "harassment."

Colorado recently passed Senate Bill 80, requiring school districts to create specific policies about bullying prevention and education within disciplinary codes and to submit them to the state department of education. House sponsor Representative Don Lee said the bill was designed to "spread awareness of the issue" and publicize successful school programs that address harassment in the school environment. "We need to make sure there is a system in place that makes it very clear that bullying behavior will not be tolerated," he adds.

Statewide policies are also in place in Georgia, New Hampshire, and Vermont, where legislatures have taken different approaches to the issue. Georgia includes bullying prevention within its character education program and sends three-time offenders to an alternative school. New Hampshire requires school disciplinary codes to include anti-bullying policies. Vermont prohibits bullying in schools within its anti-hazing law.

Bullying prevention should be considered a part of the larger problem of school violence, say experts. Bill Modzeleski, Director of the U.S. Department of Education Safe and Drug Free Schools Program, recommends a comprehensive approach to bullying prevention, using methods to work with both the bully and the victim. "Otherwise," he says, "we're only dealing with half of the equation."

For more information regarding school violence, please contact Finessa Ferrell-Smith at NCSL's Denver office at 303/364-7700, extension 137.