With the school year officially underway, now is a great time to talk about a serious issue in our schools. Bullying affects everyone, from the person being bullied, their friends and family, teachers and the school as a whole. Bullying is never okay and should be reported to school officials immediately.
State law defines bullying as “intimidation, unwanted aggressive behavior, or harassment that is repetitive or is substantially likely to be repeated and causes a reasonable student to fear for his or her physical safety or property; substantially interferes with the educational performance, opportunities, or benefits of any student without exception; or substantially disrupts the orderly operation of the school.”
Anything from physical violence to written or electronic communications falls under the law.
In 2016, the Missouri General Assembly passed and the governor signed House Bill 1583. This legislation updated Missouri law to include cyberbullying.
According to HB 1583, cyberbullying is defined as “the transmission of a communication including, but not limited to, a message, text, sound, or image by means of an electronic device, including but not limited to, a telephone, wireless telephone, or other wireless communication device, computer or pager.”
House Bill 1583 reformed state law regarding bullying in schools and how districts report, investigate and provide training on it. Under this legislation, each school district’s anti-bullying policy must be included in their student handbook. In addition, HB 1583 required each of Missouri’s school districts to review their anti-bullying policy and revise if necessary.
There is one thing everyone can agree on: bullying has to stop.
Bullying prevention starts at home, although schools play a major role in prevention as well. I encourage all parents, grandparents and teachers to discuss bullying with their children. Open the lines of communication and explain to them what to do if they or someone they know experiences bullying. For more information, visit the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s website.
As always, I encourage my constituents to contact me throughout the year with comments, questions or suggestions by calling my office at (573) 751-5713. Thank you for reading this and for your participation in state government.