Bullying Prevention Laws

May 7, 2018

Bullying is a concern for all parents of school-aged children. When a child reports they've been bullied, it's important that we listen and that we're prepared to respond. Connecticut has proactively addressed bullying, and I'm proud to say we have strong anti-bullying laws:

Cyber Bullying

In 2011, I co-sponsored legislation to address cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is defined as "any act of bullying through the use of the Internet, interactive and digital technologies, cellular mobile telephone or other mobile electronic devices or any electronic communications." Schools must have policies in place that address cyber bullying, including when it takes place outside of school.

Comprehensive Bullying Prevention

I co-sponsored legislation passed in 2014 that requires school districts to develop a comprehensive bullying prevention strategy. Under this law, each board of education must have a "safe school climate plan" that does the following:

  • Addresses bullying in the school district
  • Permits parents and students to file complaints and requires complaint investigations
  • Develops a prevention and intervention strategy
  • Take numerous other steps related to bullying and bullying prevention

We've taken important steps to prevent bullying in our schools, and addressing this issue is an ongoing process.