New Jersey’s Anti-bullying Law

Hour 1

New Jersey has passed what’s been described as the toughest anti-bullying law in the country.  It requires schools to appoint anti-bullying coordinators, there’s an anonymous Crime Stoppers tip line that students can call, and schools are required to investigate alleged bullying incidents within 24 hours.  All these measures are to be met by schools without additional funding.  While some people are applauding the law called the Anti-bullying Bill of Rights, others worry that it goes too far, demanding too much of schools, and forcing teachers to escalate even the smallest incidents to the police for fear of lawsuits.  This hour, we’ll look at the new law, what it asks of schools and what it means to students and parents.  Our guests are JOHN MOONEY, Founding editor and education writer of NJSpotlight.com., RICHARD BOZZA, Executive Director of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, and STUART GREEN, a clinical social worker and founder of the New Jersey Coalition for Bullying Awareness and Prevention.

Listen to the mp3

Listen:
[audio: 091411_100630.mp3]