Analysis of State Bullying Laws and Policies

This KnowledgeBase archive includes content and external links that were accurate and relevant as of September 30, 2019.

This U.S. Department of Education report reviews state bullying laws and model policies, as well as selected school district policies. Educators developing or reviewing bullying policies may find this report useful.

The report's key findings include:

    •    46 states have bullying laws, and 45 of those laws direct school districts to adopt bullying policies. However, three of the 46 states prohibit bullying without defining the behavior that is prohibited.

    •    36 states include provisions in their education codes prohibiting cyberbullying or bullying using electronic media. 13 states specify that schools have jurisdiction over off-campus behavior if it creates a hostile school environment.

    •    41 states have created model bullying policies, 12 of which were not mandated to do so under law. Three other states, including Hawaii, Montana and Michigan, also developed model policies in the absence of state bullying legislation.

    •    Among the 20 school district bullying policies reviewed in this study, districts located in states with more expansive legislation produced the most expansive school district policies. However, several school districts in states with less expansive laws also substantially expanded the scope and content of their policies beyond the minimum legal expectations.

To read the complete report, click here.

Source:
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development, Policy and Program Studies Service, Analysis of State Bullying Laws and Policies, Washington, D.C. 2011

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