Criminalizing School Bullying: Do New Laws Go Too Far?
When it comes to school bullies, are they misunderstood kids who just need to pointed on a better path? Or are they criminals who will only be curbed by the full weight of the law?
Earlier this week, USA Today's Greg Toppo looked at the sharp increase in states enacting anti-bullying initiative despite questions as to their effectiveness. And for anyone wondering if bullying takes a summer vacation, Toppo notes that students "might leave behind the face-to-face bullying that includes everything from simple taunts to brutal beatings, but too often they can't escape the digital world that gives the predators access to their prey day and night and well beyond the schoolyard gates."
There's no doubt that states are pushing through legislation that not only criminalizes bullying but also sets new accountability standards for educators who fail to take action to stop it. In some instances the onus is being put
Earlier this week, USA Today's Greg Toppo looked at the sharp increase in states enacting anti-bullying initiative despite questions as to their effectiveness. And for anyone wondering if bullying takes a summer vacation, Toppo notes that students "might leave behind the face-to-face bullying that includes everything from simple taunts to brutal beatings, but too often they can't escape the digital world that gives the predators access to their prey day and night and well beyond the schoolyard gates."
There's no doubt that states are pushing through legislation that not only criminalizes bullying but also sets new accountability standards for educators who fail to take action to stop it. In some instances the onus is being put