MA: Governor Signs Anti-bullying Legislation

“Bullying is not a normal piece of childhood,’’ he said. “Emotional and physical abuse is more than, as they say, kids just being kids.’’

Excerpt from Boston.com:

Governor Deval Patrick signed an extensive antibullying law yesterday, as a family, still grieving an 11-year-old’s suicide, stood witness.

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[Sirdeaner] Walker, a Springfield mother who has become a national advocate against bullying, said the law would be a legacy to her son, Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, as well as to Prince, a South Hadley student who hanged herself in January after ceaseless abuse from classmates.

The law, which advocates call one of the toughest in the nation, prohibits physical, emotional, and online taunting and mandates training for faculty and students. It requires school staff to notify parents about incidents and harassment under the umbrella of bullying behavior.

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Patrick, surrounded by 30 third-graders from East Brookfield Elementary School, sounded a theme echoed by several officials who spoke about the new law: While new protections and reporting requirements are important in elevating the issue and giving tools to schools and families, he said, they alone will not solve the problem.

“Bullying is not a normal piece of childhood,’’ he said. “Emotional and physical abuse is more than, as they say, kids just being kids.’’

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Walker praised the new law and said she is also working to pass federal legislation that would, among other things, focus on added protections and tracking for groups most often targeted, including gay and disabled students.

“This is not about criminalizing bullying, but about preventing bullying through education,’’ said Walker, who hugged and caressed her 7-year-old son, Charles, and 5-year-old daughter, Gloria, as they fidgeted through the 35-minute ceremony.

For the full story, please click the following link: http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/05/04/grieving_family_by_his_side_governor_signs_legislation/