AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine lawmakers have given final passage to a bill to protect students from bullying in schools.
The bill nearly became law in 2011 but was sent back to the Education Committee at the last minute.
It requires the education commissioner to develop a model policy to address bullying and cyberbullying for use in Maine schools. A copy of the model policy must be sent to each school administrative unit in the state and posted on the publicly accessible portion of the department’s website, along with any training and instructional materials related to the policy.
In 2010, there were at least 14 suicides resulting from bullying nationally.
The bill faces further review in the Appropriations Committee and must be signed into law by the governor.
You can make all the laws you want, but until the staff at the school is ready to recognize and admit there is bullying going on, nothing will change. We fought the school for 6 years to get them to stop the bullying for our child. They refused to even see there was a problem, and blamed it on everything but what it was. We finally had to move to get away from it. Once out of that situation, our child improved steadily. It took about 4 years to really recover. We even had physician and counselors involved and still the school could do nothing. I feel very sorry for the ones who don’t have the means and resources to move their child as we did. No child should have to go through that, and no parent should have to go through what we went through trying to get someone to take it seriously. It could have ended very badly, and I feared it would which is why we finally decided uprooting all of our kids was better than one of them suffering.
BB84SS: I agree. We’re all seeing the drastic results that can happen from this bullying. Both parents and school staff need to do their part in stopping this.
The worst part is that I think the schools are scared of the parents of the bullies. You see a vicious cycle. The kids are just emanating the behavior of their parents. Where will it end? As stated above, the victims were allowed to stand up for themselves, and sometimes encouraged to fight back to stop it. No more. They also used to kick the bad bullies out of school. That rarely happens anymore either.
You really have to admit that it’s parents who brought this on in the first place. The school can’t invoke any type of punishment these days without fear of being sued by a parent. It certainly sounds like more of the same old “no personal responsibility” is left in this country. Keep following the liberal mind set, and it will never go away.
The state’s Bully-in-Chief has to sign the anti bullying legislation into law. If he signs it, I hope the leopard changes his own spots.
I think the bullies are the ones who constantly take over comment sections that have nothing to do with politics and inject their views just to have a place to say them. LAME.
I too have found liberal to be bullies. Once I was minding my own business browsing around a farmer’s market when out of no where a local political activist came up to me, while I was looking over some squash and proceed to harass me about some political issues. I told them I was there to buy vegetables and not discuss politics, they followed me around yelling about how horrible the governor was. Finally, after having ignored them for 5 mins, I told them to get out of my face or I would have them reported for harassment.
My Daughter was bullied at the school she went to. The biggest problem is the biggest bully in her school is the current Principle. I refuse to deal this, this person. I’m going to be home schooling this upcoming school year. I have had enough. I had to put my daughter in Counseling due to all the bullying she had to deal with. It made her physically sick to think about going back. The bullying isn’t going to stop with people like this Principle still heading the schools.
I sympathize whole-heartedly with you Stonefury. We went through something like that, but it was the 5th grade teacher who was the biggest bully in the end. Any progress we’d made with trying to develop confidence to stand up to the bullying, she totally smashed. We considered launching a law suit against the school and this woman to get her out of the school, but in the end we were so mentally exhausted and worried for our child, we all just wanted to leave that place behind us. My recommendation to anyone in that situation is to do whatever you have to, to move your child to another place, or homeschool. There are plenty of other ways to get HEALTHY socialization outside of your current school.
I wish you luck. Nothing hurts worse than watching your own child hurting like that. Be strong.
Bangor is notorious for hiring principals who are bullies. They were bullies when they were in school and continue to be bullies. They favor the jocks, because they were jocks, and bullying is part of their culture, so good luck getting rid of bullying in our schools.
Parents – it’s your kids who are doing the bullying. In order to change the culture at school, there must be a change the culture at home and in the community:
1. Enforce some basic expectations at home: politeness; decent language; being part of the family; not watching TV or playing video games all the time; not getting everything they want just because they exist.
2. Let the school know you’ll back them up with whatever disciplinary actions need to be taken when your kids don’t behave. Stop complaining that your poor little Johnny or Jenny is just misunderstood.
Yes, there are probably cases in which schools don’t take bulllying seriously. In my previous life, I saw principals who simply patted certain kids on the head (one even gave them candy bars) and sent them back to the classroom despite many complaints coming from other parents and teachers. But the reality is that almost no educator wants to see students getting hurt – emotionally or physically. Unfortunately, the sad truth is that there is only so much schools can do to counteract a culture that glorifies violence, sexuality and vulgarity.
I don’t want to diminish the harsh realities of bullying; it’s real and needs to be taken seriously. That said: there was a day when children were “allowed” to punch a bully in the nose without being suspended, kicked off the team, and/or arrested for assault and sent to anger management. And the bully usually backed off and looked for a different victim.
“.. and looked for a different victim”
Your reply should read “That said: there was a day when SOME children were ….” The administration should smack the bully and his / her parents around a bit. That would solve the issue.
Adults could start by setting good examples, but that isn’t happening.
Man, This is so screwed up, you know if Jwsus Christ was coming to this land in all his glory, some dumb axx would have some thing stupid to say about Lepage! But please keep talking, you continue to prove our point each time you make these stupid comments!
Now, what was your point again?
You know we wouldn’t need this law if once a semester the principle of the school got his head out of his rear end and use the power of asembly, with police presance, and “that there is hell to pay” attidue. Let the kids know that the school does not put up with this bullcrap. there’s always going to be the bully and the cyber bully. But kids know what is cool and what is not when affects all the students lives. If the they treated bullies like they treated drug dealers or vandels in the school there would be a heck of a lot less.
Parents write excuses for their kids so they can go to walmart and shoplift.
I recall a few years back bullying occurring in the Skowhegan high school and the student that reported it was suspended.
Fianally!
Empeach Lepage!
Learn to spell then flame!
There isn’t already an anti bullying law on the books in Maine, like for work, internet. phone etc.?
Does anyone else see the irony in having Penguin sign a bill outlawing bullying?