Harassment/Bullying, Part II

I posted last month about a bill approved by the Legislature and signed into law by the Governor to create local school board policies dealing with harassment/bullying. The process begins with the State Board of Education drawing up a model policy, and hearings are to be held for the board to get citizens input. So afar, no hearing dates have been set, but since all of this is supposed to be finished in time for the Fall start of school, it is likely the hearings will begin soon. Meanwhile, according to this morning's New York Times, the American Academy of Pediatrics is also working on the problem, as it relates to pediatricians and their young patients. That organization is expected to unveil a policy for the doctors next month. The article discusses a school policy developed by a Norwegian Psychology professor that is already in use. [NOTE: I used the term harassment/bullying up top because there is concern by supporters of the legislation that the word "bullying" seems too ordinary, and that the bill is aimed at serious, potentially dangerous action by one student against another. They worry that using "bullying" makes it sound somewhat trivial, which it certainly is not.]