Editorial: Bullying and victims' rights

The effects of bullying are striking. A 2002 report by the U.S. Secret Service revealed that bullying plays a significant role in school shootings and emphasized the importance of combating bullying in schools. A Finnish study suggested that boys who are bullied are four times more likely to be suicidal; bullied girls are eight times more likely to be suicidal. Moreover, research suggests that 160,000 students miss school each day to avoid bullying, a figure that demonstrates that bullying can substantially affect a school’s learning environment. The tragedy at Rutgers makes these findings hit home in a way that numbers alone cannot.

The Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights approaches the bullying problem from three directions. The bill increases awareness by requiring bullying- and suicide-prevention courses for new teachers. The bill also expedites the response to cases of bullying by formalizing the way teachers and administrators must identify, report and punish offenses. Finally, the bill increases accountability by penalizing teachers who fail to respond to cases of bullying. By attacking harassment at an early age and by consistently guiding — and, in some cases, punishing — students who engage in bullying, officials can slowly change a school’s culture so that bullying is not tolerated and students are able to learn in a welcoming environment.

This bill will also have a pronounced effect on college students in New Jersey. The bill requires that public universities in the state create rules barring bullying and that these universities formalize the way they respond to cases of bullying. Although the bill does not apply to private schools, it will at the very least give these universities cause to reexamine their own policies. In the aftermath of Clementi’s suicide, many have questioned what more can be done to prevent these tragedies, especially given that by the time a student enters college, it is often too late to change patterns of bullying behavior. By combating bullying in elementary and secondary schools, the bill will hopefully reduce the number of bullies who enter college in the first place. The Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights stands to have considerable benefits in schools throughout the state, and the New Jersey legislature should act quickly to ensure its passage.