The Bill is Here!

Ladies and Gents: I have news that will set your heart a-glow.

This morning, New York Senator Jeffery Klein introduced a bill to combat the issue of cyber bullying in the State of New York!! That's right, we are already seeing progress in Albany! Also on the project is Senator Savino, who has been a longtime supporter of cyber bullying legislation.

This issue has become a fast priority for our lawmakers. We must continue to use our petition to add our voice to the conversation. Sign and share with others so we can make sure we are heard.

Ok let's pause for a moment. When I first started as Miss New York, I did not have an interest in pursuing bullying from a legal angle. I thought laws would make no difference, as they are only a reactionary tool with a slight possibility of deterrence. Yet after the loss of Jamey, I realize the importance of creating formal grounds on which to stand against online attacks. This family experienced a loss that is directly related to the actions of others, yet the accountable party is in fact not accountable according to current law. Is that truly how we feel? I think we would be wrong not to seriously reconsider and update our legal language in relation to modernized cyber attacks made between minors.

However, I stand by my original commitment...I do not think legislation is the sole solution. If we want to see less bullying - be it online or otherwise - we need to start teaching children what bullying is and how to handle it in their lives and among peers. We need to educate teachers and staff on how to help a child being bullied as well as how to help the bullies themselves. We need to teach parents the necessary steps for handling a child who is being bullied, or is acting as a bully.

Without efforts on the local level, we cannot make change. Bystander intervention has an 80% rate of stopping a bully. That's a powerful piece of knowledge, and proof that each of us has the power to fight this battle. I will be traveling this fall to schools throughout the state to share action plans and educational tools to help communities strengthen their stance against bullying. We must educate ourselves and others so we can all join the battle and bring change.

To add your school or community to my Fall Bullying Tour,

email judy@missny.org.

Add your signature to the my New York Petition Against Cyberbullying.