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Loading ...County Passes Most Inclusive Anti-Bully Policy In Fla.
07.24.2008 2:00pm EDT
(Fort Lauderdale, Florida) The Broward County School Board passed the strongest anti-bully ing policy in Florida this week.
The policy contains a full list of prohibited forms of harassment, bullying and discrimination; prohibitions include targeting victims based on their sexual orientation, as well as gender identity and expression.The law was passed to comply with new state requirements that school districts develop and enact anti-bully policies by Dec. 1, 2008, and that those policies to protect all students.
“This is the ideal policy that other schools should replicate. By fully listing all forms of prohibited harassment, Broward County is making crystal clear what the legislature has repeatedly said, that all students must be equally protected,” said Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida.
“Not only does this policy provide the best protection for students and teachers, but it also protects the school district by demonstrating that they are fully complying with the law,” she said.
The state requirement was passed earlier this year and signed into law last month by Gov. Charlie Crist (R).
Under the requirement, individual school districts decide specific categories of students to be protected, although lawmakers stated on the record that it was designed protect LGBT students, as well as other minorities.
Districts who do not comply by Dec. 1 risk losing state funds.
A 2005 study found that gay-bashing remains a major problem in the nation’s schools.
Three-quarters of American students surveyed by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network said that they heard derogatory remarks such as “faggot” or “dyke” frequently or often at school in the previous year. Nearly nine out of 10 reported hearing “that’s so gay” or “you’re so gay” – meaning stupid or worthless – frequently or often.
Over a third of students said they experienced physical harassment at school on the basis of sexual orientation and more than a quarter on the basis of their gender expression.
Nearly one in five students reported they had been physically assaulted because of their sexual orientation and more than one in 10 reported assaults because of their gender expression.
The study also showed that bullying has a negative impact on learning.
LGBT students were five times more likely to report having skipped school in the last month because of safety concerns than the general population of students.
“America is a civilized nation.” But, unfortunately our children are not yet civilized, that’s why they are being “schooled.” The civilized community realizes there is a need to stop children who are mimicking the bad parent members of the community, and needs a command from the law to be able to intervene with those uncivilized progeny. The law would be more effectively placed if the parents of homo-bashing children were arrested and punished for their children’s actions. But that is too indirect and so the children, who probably haven’t the ability to develop empathy and compassion yet, think they are acting properly, “just like mom and dad.” This will be effective, and let’s face it, bullying in schools is so lame. I know of horrible cases with effeminate boys not even gay, being beaten and intimidated minute-by-minute. And, awkward poor girls who can’t afford fashion or suffer ugly duckling phases who are so ostracized by mean girls, they dread every day of the entire school year. Most of these kids just slip into ‘obscurity’, dumbing themselves down, avoiding social, sport and group interactions, and revert to self-abusive behavior. This is a good law. When we don’t need it anymore, we can take it off the books, like in 50 years when this generation learns and then teaches their children.
Many bad things happen even in “civilized” countries; murder, rape, robberies, and yes, bullying–hence the need for this legislation. Hopefully, this law will be a wakeup call to the group most needing it–parents. They will actually have to teach their children not to behave with disrespect toward their classmates–that is, to stop terrorizing them!
Depends on what you mean by “civilized.” Our political system is based upon the Roman Republic. The end of the 18th century was characterized by fervor for everything Neo-classical. Like Romanticism in the 19th century and Eastern Mysticism in the 1960s, this fascination with Ancient Rome was basically a fad. But intellectuals like Jefferson bought into it hook, line, and sinker. We have inherited all the strengths of that system. But we also inherited all the weaknesses (including the hypocriscy, class politics, and militarism).
America is a civilized nation, right? This being the case why is there a need to pass legislation such as anti-bully policies? The LGBT community is fighting for rights, wait are we not in the United States of America where all law abiding citizens are free and have the same measure because of a document called the Constitution? Brian’s comment, “I have skipped school for that reason”. Not much has changed in America, makes it hard to say I am proud to be an American.
I have skipped school for that very reason. And this year I am just starting high school.