Anti-bullying legislation

According to one study, state-level anti-bullying legislation in the United States was associated with reductions in bullying, depression and suicidal ideation.

According to a study conducted in 2008 by the Britain-based Plan International, 50 percent of school children in the Philippines experienced bullying either by their teachers or their peers.

Nobel Peace Prize nominee and world-renowned anti-bullying expert Christina Catalano has stated that "[bullied individuals] can suffer from various issues such as the lack of confidence, problems in academics, social anxiety and the fear of public speaking.

"[11] In addition, prominent legal scholar Jonathan Burley has stated "bullying is an extremely serious injustice towards our children" and has been a consistent advocate of anti-bullying legislation.

[13] Although there currently exists no federal assistance for anti-bullying, Thursday's Child[14] offers a 24-hour helpline for children, teens and young adults in the U.S., who are bullying victims, at 1 (800) USA KIDS or (818) 831-1234 from a mobile device.

"[16] Anti-bullying legislation received national attention after the suicide of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi.

[18] Garden State Equality Chairman Steve Goldstein called New Jersey's bill the "toughest" anti-bullying law in the country.

Cyberbullying is defined by Sameer Hinduja and Justin Patchin as "willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices.

In the summer of 2011, Public Act 11-232 made significant changes to the state of Connecticut statute which defines bullying as the following: (A) The repeated use by one or more students of a written, oral or electronic communication, such as cyberbullying, directed at or referring to another student attending school in the same school district, or (B) a physical act or gesture by one or more students repeatedly directed at another student attending school in the same school district, that (i) causes physical or emotional harm to himself or herself, or of damage to his or her property, (ii) places such student in reasonable fear of harm to himself or herself, or of damage to his or her property, (iii) creates a hostile environment at school for such student, (iv) infringes on the rights of such student at school, or (v) substantially disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a school Beyond this, bullying includes but is not limited to "a written, oral or electronic communication or physical act or gesture-based on any actual or perceived differentiating characteristic, such as race, color, religion ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, socioeconomic status, academic status, physical appearance, or mental, physical, developmental or sensory disability, or by association with an individual or group who has or is perceived to have one or more of such characteristics."

(Connecticut Department of Education) Effective December 1, 2012, North Carolina has made it a crime for students to bully their teachers.

[25] The Law defines bullying as any repeated aggression or harassment that occurs in or outside the educational institution, by one student or a group towards another, causing mistreatment, humiliation, or fear.

[26] Section 89 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 includes a requirement for headteachers at state schools to determine behavior policy with a view to "preventing all forms of bullying among pupils".