Anti-Bullying Laws and Policies protecting Child’s Right: School-Based Bullying Prevention Strategies in Maryland State

Abstract

Bullying is one of the most considered problems in American schools. Although both school staffs and department of education struggle to reduce school bullying, the number of students who have experienced bullying, harassment and victimization remains unchanged. We must not forget that bullying deprived child of basic human rights in the first place. If bully doesn’t remember such thing, we must have the recognition that all children have a right to learn in a safe school.

First of all, the situation was made by US Department of Education (USDE) based on the results of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). In 1999 New Jersey State had enacted the first anti-bullying law to address bullying in the United States. Too notorious event occurred in that year: The shooting at Columbine High School. In order to make an environment of safety school, the movement to protect children from bullying, harassment and victimization is done. After the spread of such movement, as of May 2017 all states in the United States had enacted it. Besides, 39 states had anti-bullying policies. Despite the spread of anti-bullying laws and policies, some students kill by oneself. This report has an attention to the effectiveness of anti-bullying laws and policies, the structure of addressing bullying incidents occurred in a school, and the strategies of reducing students’ risk of being bullied.

Although Japan established an anti-bullying law to prevent bullying in 2013, little is known about the effectiveness of that law. Considering the American bullying prevention strategies, we can get some idea to reflect Japanese anti-bullying laws and the measure against bullying, harassment and victimization.