New Hampshire’s New Bully Law Brings Hope to Students and Parents By Carol Croteau with Jennifer Rydeen Bully Free New Hampshire On June 15th Governor John Lynch signed into law House Bill 1523, the revision to NH’s bully law, RSA 193-F. The revision was drafted by a broad coalition of participants. The backbone of the revision is the Training and Assessment section, which mandates that school personnel will be trained annually on their school’s anti-bullying policy and procedures. Additionally, NH’s Department of Education has created training opportunities for school staff and faculty on the subject of bullying. Another major component to the revision is the inclusion of a definition of bullying behavior. Parents tell us when they report bullying of their child to school officials, the situation often turns to blaming the victim.  The revised law gives school officials a guideline to focus on the bully’s behavior, institute investigation procedures and measures to protect students from further bullying and retaliation. The threat of retaliation is the main reason why targets do not report bullying to their school officials or to their parents. In the past, students could come home and have some relief from bullying. With the advent of texting and social networking, however, a new form of bullying called cyber- bullying has become prevalent. Although the original draft of House Bill 1523 had language that covered cyber-bullying that happened on school property or school- sponsored activities, the additional language now includes cyber-bullying happening off school grounds. The new law went into effect July 1, 2010. Within six months school districts must have their new anti-bullying policy and procedures in place. By nine months the schools must train their staff, faculty, regular volunteers, and employees under contract to the school of the school’s bullying policy and procedure. No law will completely eliminate bullying, but what this revised law hopes to do is provide schools with a good tool to intervene meaningfully in bullying situations. The NH Parents Make the Difference website is a collaboration between the Parent Information Center of NH and the NH Department of Education.  This website is supported with funding from the US Department of Education through the NH State PIRC grant of the Natonal PIRC program. © 2010 The Parent Information Center of NH Watch This Video Professor Malcom Smith of UNH leads a panel on the causes the prevention of bullying. From PIC’s Partnerships for Education Conference in March, 2011.. . . . . . . .  Bully Free New Hampshire  is a  grassroots organization committed to bully awareness and prevention in NH schools.  Visit www.bullyfreenh.org. October is National Bullying Prevention Month NOTICE NH Public TV’s NH Outlook show airs discussion of the issues and New Hampshire's new anti-bullying law. "Bullying and New Law": NHPTV October 22, 24 & 25. For more information, click here.