Kentucky lawmakers are working to establish a standardized definition for bullying within public schools. Legislation to add an official definition to each school’s code of conduct cleared the full senate 30 to 6 on Wednesday.
Paducah Senator Danny Carroll says the measure would not create a new criminal offense. “Bullying means an unwanted verbal, physical, or social behavior among students that involves a real or perceived power imbalance and is repeated or has the potential to be repeated,” explained Carroll.
Carroll says the bill would pertain to activities on school premises, school sponsored transportation or events, or activity that disrupts the educational process. Northern Kentucky Senator John Schickel voted against the bill. He says a lot of federal grant money is tied to the measure. “Those of us who call ourselves conservatives, we’re very much against bullying and we’re very much against harassment," Schickel said. "But we don’t think it’s the role of the federal government to be involved in playground supervision."
Richmond Senator Jared Carpenter served on the youth bullying task force. He argued in favor of the bill, saying the legislation is not about creating victims, but instead, educating those who may bully.
