Gov. Deval Patrick signed a bill Wednesday designed to build on the state's 2010 anti-bullying law by strengthening protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students and students with disabilities.
Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) staff attorney Allison Wright says this will go a long way toward making victims of bullying feel supported.
"Students really depend on their schools, the adults at their schools, to help them deal with those situations, but having a proper plan, and enforcing that plan, and handling every situation of bullying along with that plan is crucial to having students feel supported," Wright said.
Massachusetts lawmakers have already approved the bill, which would also create new reporting measures for schools and recognize certain populations as more vulnerable to bullying.
The 2010 law was designed to crack down on bullying and cyberbullying and require schools to establish anti-bullying programs.
The law creates data-collection and reporting mechanisms designed to help educators, administrators and legislators identify trends and respond to them.
Schools would be required to report bullying data annually to education officials. The statistics would be passed on to the attorney general and lawmakers.
