Senate Democrats Reject Republican Bill To Prevent Cyber Bullying
June 23, 2010
(New York, N.Y.) - An amendment proposed by Senate Republicans today to address the problem of cyber-bullying of children was rejected today by Senate Democrats. Senator Steve Saland proposed legislation that would update New York’s laws to discourage, prevent and punish all forms of bullying, including cyber-bullying.
Senator Saland (Poughkeepsie) said: “Every student is entitled to a safe and bully-free learning environment. While schoolyard bullying is not a new phenomenon, technology has heightened the unrelenting and egregious acts of bullying and cyber-bullying. This bill will protect all students from the devastating and irreversible effects of bullying and provide our teachers and schools every tool possible to combat the pervasive and vicious cycle of bullying.”
New York is one of only a handful of states that does not have a law against cyber bullying. The legislation (S.1253B) would:
- Require school districts to include methods for discouraging acts of bullying and cyber-bullying within the required instruction in civility, citizenship, and character education;
- Define bullying and cyber-bullying and add these acts to the list of incidents for which disciplinary measures must be taken pursuant to the school district’s code of conduct;
- Require all school employees to report incidents of bullying and cyber-bulling; and
- Creates the crime of aggravated harassment of teachers and school personnel.
The anti-bullying package would give New York schools the tools to help reduce bullying by including instructions about discouraging bullying within a school’s character education program and requiring all school employees to report incidents of bullying if they have a reasonable suspicion that a student is being victimized.
Senate Republicans offered the bill as an amendment to a bill called the Dignity for All Students Act (S.1987B), which did not include any provisions to stop cyber bullying, but, instead, created a limited class of protected students.
Senator Kemp Hannon (Garden City) said, “Cyber-bullying is rising at an alarming rate and it all too often has devastating consequences. In today’s age of advanced technology, twenty-four hour connectivity and social networking, students who are subjected to acts of cyber-bullying have no reprieve. Taunts and acts of bullying that begin in school follow students home every day, and have lasting impacts on the child. This legislation will help to restore respect and dignity to our schoolchildren while making educators a proactive part of the bullying solution.”
Senator Owen H. Johnson (West Babylon) said, “We can no longer accept bullying as ‘kids being kids.’ Just recently, I heard the tragic news of a West Islip teenage girl who was beaten by a classmate over a conflict that began on Facebook. We need to ensure a safe learning environment within our schools, but also educate our kids so that when they leave school, they don’t participate in this hurtful behavior.”
Senator Betty Little (Queensbury) said, “Bullying is a chronic problem. Left unaddressed, the intensity usually grows greater each day for the child subjected to teasing, ridicule, isolation and physical violence. Our schools are on the frontline and increased sensitivity about the issue and clearer guidelines on how to prevent bullying, and what to do when it happens, would mean a lot to thousands of kids who are needlessly suffering because they can’t escape the bullying.”
Posted by News LI Editor · Filed Under Tech
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3 Responses to “Senate Democrats Reject Republican Bill To Prevent Cyber Bullying”
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- Posted by: Dee Dee Sorg
Our kids need to be protected from these malicious cowards who mask themselves as friends online then pull the lives of our kids apart just because they see it as fun or cool. Lets hope the NY powers that be “Wake Up”
- Posted by: Carlotta Green
I agree with Senator Saland in that “Every student is entitled to a safe and bully-free learning environment. While schoolyard bullying is not a new phenomenon, technology has heightened the unrelenting and egregious acts of bullying and cyber-bullying.” Yet, the legislation being offered requires schools, to develop methods and education to dissuade such behavior but does not provide funding for solutions that have already been proven to be effective. Woogi CyberHero program has had over 1 million children go through the program through over 200 schools nationwide. The program is currently funded by corporate donations and is free to schools. If the Senator would allocate $5.50 per child per year, every elementary school child would have access to the full, robust and constantly updated Woogi CyberHero solution. The program is comprises of a series of games for children 6-12 that teaches children how to manage their online life. What to do when confronted by bullying, how to talk to parents, teachers and what to expect in terms of response. Teachers tell us that kids participating in the CyberHero program behave better in the classroom as well. Take a look at CyberHero and let every kid learn how to “not” be a victim but a contributing citizen. www.cyberheroamerica.com
- Posted by: Eric Clare