Illinois lawmakers are working to further address the problem of bullying in schools.
Legislation pending in the Senate updates current state laws on bullying. For example, Senator Sara Feigenholtz of Chicago says schools would be required to let parents know that their child has been bullied within 24 hours of administrators learning about the alleged incident.
“Although there has been significant work in Illinois to address the issue of bullying, students are continuing to be harmed greatly and presented with depression, anxiety and low academic achievement. Many of them drop out of school.”
Concerns have been raised about the potential burden this places on school administrators and the feasibility of quickly getting in touch with parents. Alison Maley is with the Illinois Principals Association.
“I think the 24 hour piece is really what concerns us the most. We are concerned about what that means for an administrator who happens to see an email at 4pm on a Saturday, if they are out of town or on vacation, they may have to go into the building to access parent information.”
The notification requirement would also apply to cyberbullying. Additionally, the bill expands the definition of bullying to include physical appearance, homelessness, socioeconomic status and pregnancy.
The bill has passed the House and now awaits a vote in the Senate.
