With students, teachers and anti-bullying advocates in attendance, Mayor Vincent C. Gray last week signed into law groundbreaking legislation that emphasizes a citywide approach to the prevention of bullying in the District of Columbia. The law will require District agencies that serve youth to adopt and implement bullying-prevention policies that protect the health and safety of the District’s young people.
Every day, one in five children is the target of bullying or cyber-bullying in the United States. Bullying incidents can lead to severe long-term social and emotional problems for those who are bullied, and youth are often hesitant to report incidents of bullying to adults.
The Youth Bullying Prevention Act of 2012 is unique in its focus on citywide bullying prevention, and aims to eliminate bullying in schools, public libraries, parks, recreation centers and other public spaces. It establishes an Anti-Bullying Task Force composed of District agencies and anti-bullying and community advocates, and charges it with creating a comprehensive model policy to be used as a framework for agencies adopting anti-bullying policies. The law also protects those who report bullying incidents from retaliation. Read more.
Bates Area Civic Association 