Speed That Anti-Bullying Bill Thru!

N.C. lawmakers are set to take up an anti-bullying bill that ran into opposition in the legislature late last year, WRAL reports. Dubbed the School Violence Prevention Act, the bill hit a roadblock last year over a provision that lists sexual orientation among the characteristics of a person who could be bullied.

If you have a child who is not a bully, you know that the bill is long overdue. Over the course of my 16 years of parenting, I’ve had conversations with too many parents worried that their son or daughter was being bullied. They’re all coming back to me now: The mother who told me that her child was hit regularly in middle school who reported it to a teacher and nothing was done about it. She resorted to telling the bully she would personally deal with him if it continued. (An ill-advised strategy, I think.) The kid who was getting harassed on the school bus, and the N.C. assistant principal who heard about it and hopped on the bus the next day for a ride with an announcement that bullying wouldn’t be tolerated. (He will forever remain my hero.)

This bill is way overdue, and it shouldn’t make a difference who is being bullied. As the House co-sponsor Rep. Tricia Cotham of Mecklenburg County said the state needs to ensure all schools are safe for children. How can anyone argue that bullying is allowed in some cases and not in others? Let’s define bullying in a way that covers all of its ugly shapes.

Like a parent shepherding her child, the school district needs to set the tone for bullying. Zero tolerance. Schools, like kids, need to know what’s allowed or not. That keeps order and sets limits. How can anyone argue that bullying is allowed in some cases and not others? When is hurting someone ever good?

You'll find more stories on bullying issues at Carolinaparent.com, from Monitoring School Hallways to Cliques, Bullies and Mean Girls and what to do when Your Child Doesn't Want to Go to School.