Anti-bullying policies and advocacy

Abstract

There are currently no federal laws directly addressing bullying. Bullying does, however, overlap with discriminatory harassment when it is based on race, national origin, color, sex, age, disability or religion. State and local lawmakers in many parts of the country have taken action to prevent bullying and protect children. Almost all 50 states have an anti-bullying statute, and most states also have model anti-bullying policies to provide guidance to school districts on how to design their anti-bullying policies. There are significant state and local differences in how these anti-bullying statutes function. Many agencies and organizations have created promising and best practices to improve outcomes for children who are bullied. Physicians and public health practitioners can play an enormously important advocacy role, along with principals, educators, parents, and students in promoting knowledge about bullying prevention and sharing resources.