Image courtesy of safenetwork.org.

Have you ever been bullied? Watched someone being bullied?

Not a pleasant experience.

Now a major effort in New Jersey to bash bullying behavior is getting national attention.

Bullies in New Hanover school districts can now be reported to the police through an anonymous tip line.

The Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights has been drafted by the state government requiring school districts to adopt comprehensive anti-bullying policies (including 18 pages of required components)

The New Jersey bill was fueled in part by the suicide of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi a victim of bullying.

According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry as many as 50% of children are affected by bullying at some point in their lives.

Opinions on the bill are divided. While many are optimistic the programs will decrease instances of bullying, some superintendents worry that the bill makes huge demands on schools…without supplying the additional resources to meet them.

Richard G. Bozza, executive director of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators said,

“I think this has gone well overboard. Now we have to police the community 24 hours a day. Where are the people and the resources to do this?”