BOSTON – Today, the Joint Committee on Education held a public hearing on An Act to Prevent Bullying. The intent of the legislation is to help school districts develop plans to combat school bullying, while fostering a safer and more productive learning environment for children.

The Committee heard testimony in support of the legislation from several legislators, educators and students who are all concerned with the ever increasing problem. The legislation is sponsored by a host of legislators, including, State Senators Robert Antonioni, Jarrett Barrios and Scott Brown, as well as State Representatives Paul Donato and David Flynn.

“Responding to bullying is critical because it not only threatens the safety of students but bullies are also more likely than others to commit crimes later in life,” said Senator Barrios. “We need to be working with schools to protect victims and develop programs that help bullies change their destructive behavior.”

Research has shown that the best way to combat bullying and school violence is to create a school climate where such behavior is not tolerated by teachers, staff, students and parents. The bill requires that every school system in the state develop a plan to prevent and respond to bullying. Schools will be required to include in their code of conduct details of their bullying prevention plan.

Bullying is also seen as a gateway to more serious—and often violent—criminal activity: 60% of males who were bullies in grades six through nine were, as adults, convicted of at least one crime.

Four 8th grade students from the Madeline English School in Everett testified in support of the bullying legislation. All four students spoke passionately on the ever-increasing incidents of bullying in the school system. “Kids should feel safe when they go to school,” stated Yelvy Dominguez. Fellow student, Ruben Ho said, “Bullying can lead to disasters and to kids carrying weapons in school,”

“Schools need to develop policies, and they need to develop clear protocols and consequences for children who engage in bullying,” said Dr. Elizabeth Englander, Director of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center. “That doesn’t mean that every school needs to have the same policy, but every school needs to think about policies that make sense for them and needs to construct those policies in clear language, understandable to both children and staff.”

Barrios, after meeting with Everett middle school students in 2004, filed the “Safe Schools” bill, along with State Senator Robert Antonioni. The bill passed the Senate unanimously last session, but was never taken up for a vote in the House.
 

The Jarrett Barrios Website is privately paid for and authorized by
The Barrios Committee, Daniel Schlozman, Treasurer
PO Box 391254, Cambridge, MA 02139 (617) 661-1805
Problems? Contact webmaster@senatorbarrios.org

Text portions, photographs, graphics, and source code © 2002-2005, The Barrios Committee. All rights reserved.
Click here for our full Privacy/Copyright/Linking Policy.