Anti-bullying laws follow Irish teen’s suicide in US

NEW YORK legislators are set to introduce sweeping new anti-bullying laws in response to the tragic death of Co Clare girl Phoebe Prince.

Just days after Massachusetts signed “Phoebe’s Law” onto the statutes in honour of the 15-year-old who died by suicide after being subjected to a lengthy bullying campaign, a second State has announced plans to establish similar measures.

New York senator George Winner has confirmed he will co-sponsor a bill he said could significantly reduce the risk of bullying in classrooms.

Among the issues the Republican representative is seeking in the potential new law are:

* A requirement for all US school civility, citizenship and character education to include classes on how to discourage bullying and cyber bullying, which involves abuse through any electronic device.

* A requirement for bullying and cyber bullying to be specifically defined under school district disciplinary measures.

* A legal requirement to be written into staff contracts forcing any school employee to report incidents of bullying and cyber bullying, and to take steps to prevent them from reoccurring.

“We should always stay vigilant in our efforts, as best we can, to secure schools as safe harbours for our young people,” Winner explained.

The move emerged after Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed anti- bullying legislation into law after the 15-year-old Co Clare girl and 11-year-old local Carl Walker-Hoover both died by suicide after being subjected to separate bullying campaigns.

The new law prohibits bullying on school property and allows for people in the state to be charged with new offences specifically relating to cyber bullying.

Six students who went to the same High School as Phoebe Prince in South Hadley, Massachusetts, and three juveniles are facing charges relating to physical and mental abuse against the 15-year-old, who died in January.

The charges range from criminal harassment to statutory rape.

According to the US Department of Justice, 43% of teenagers have reported being victims of cyber bullying.

A survey of 876 teenagers by the Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology presented last November indicated that 5.5% of teens in this country have been bullied at least once a week.