New DE bill seeks to reduce bullying and keep students out of criminal justice system

According to the latest numbers of the  National Center for Education Statistics, 28% of middle school aged children across the nation have been bullied. A new proposed bill in Delaware is looking to reduce those numbers, but also change the way it addresses bullying incidents.

According to state legislation, if there’s a physical altercation in a Delaware school as a result of bullying,  police would get involved.

Senator Brian Pettyjohn says, “as the law stands right now you have to bring law enforcement, police, there is an arrest done, sometimes the kids are taken to  the police station to be processed.”

However, if passed Senate Bill 207 would change that. Attorney General Matt Denn proposed this bill that  would eliminate the obligation that schools must report all fights to police and instead leave it to up to the schools and victims’ parents whether law enforcement gets involved.       

Denn says last year, 130 students in Delaware public  schools were taken to police stations for getting into school fights that resulted in a non-serious injury. One of the officials supporting the bills is Senator Brian Pettyjohn.

“I’m a big proponent of flexibility if there is a situation that we  don’t have to involve law enforcement and really start kids out in the wrong track in the criminal justice system while they are in the K through 12 system I think that’s a great thing, ” says Pettyjohn.

The bill could cut down on unnecessary criminal processing, but it also hopes to get victims the help they need. It would make it mandatory that schools inform the parents of victims that there are resources available for them at the Attorney General’s Office.

Attorney General Matt Denn says, “Right now most parents aren’t aware that the attorney general’s office has an an Ombudsman that can interfere on behalf of bullying victims and make sure that their cases are being handled properly in schools.”

Senate Bill 207 has been assigned to committee however it has not yet been heard in committee.

To view the full proposed bill click here.