State and local lawmakers have taken action to prevent bullying and protect children.¹ Each jurisdiction, including all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories (state), addresses bullying differently. Some have established laws, policies, and regulations.² Others have developed model policies schools and local educational agencies (districts) can use as they develop their own local laws, policies and regulations. Most state laws, policies, and regulations require districts and schools to implement a bullying policy and procedures to investigate and respond to bullying when it occurs. A handful of states also require bullying prevention programs, inclusion of bullying prevention in health education standards, and/or teacher professional development. These state laws generally do not prescribe specific consequences for kids who engage in bullying behavior, and very few classify bullying as a criminal offense. Further, states may address bullying, cyberbullying, and related behaviors in a single law or across multiple laws. In some cases, bullying appears in the criminal code of a state that may apply to juveniles.

In December 2010, the U.S. Department of Education developed a framework of common components found in state laws, policies, and regulations focused on bullying at the time. The framework was used to describe how schools were taking action to prevent and respond to bullying incidents. The common components found in state laws, policies, and regulations \u2013 which have evolved over time \u2013 include definitions of bullying, defining characteristics that are commonly targeted for bullying behaviors, and detailed requirements for school district policies. The table below presents which set of components are addressed in each state\u2019s laws, policies, and regulations, allowing for a quick comparison of how each state compares. Click on your state below to find out more about your state\u2019s anti-bullying laws and policies and which of the key components they contain.

$\"State$

Common Components of State Anti-Bullying Laws and Regulations, by State

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States	Prohibiting statement	Definition	Scope	Protected groups	District policy requirement	Reporting and investigations	Consequences	Communication of policy	Safeguards and supports	Review and update of local policies	Prevention education	Staff training	Parent engagement
Alabama	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Alaska	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc					\u00fc
Arizona	\u00fc		\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc
Arkansas	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
California	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Colorado		\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc			\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc
Connecticut	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Delaware	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
District of Columbia	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Florida	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Georgia	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc
Guam	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc			\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Hawaii	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Idaho	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Illinois	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc
Indiana	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Iowa	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Kansas	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc						\u00fc	\u00fc
Kentucky	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc				\u00fc
Louisiana	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Maine	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc			\u00fc	\u00fc
Maryland	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Massachusetts	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Michigan	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Minnesota	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Mississippi	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc		\u00fc		\u00fc
Missouri	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Montana	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc				\u00fc
Nebraska		\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc		\u00fc			\u00fc
Nevada	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
New Hampshire	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
New Jersey	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
New Mexico	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
New York	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
North Carolina	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
North Dakota	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Ohio	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Oklahoma	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Oregon¹	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Pennsylvania	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Puerto Rico	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Rhode Island	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
South Carolina	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
South Dakota	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Tennessee	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Texas	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
U.S. Virgin Islands					\u00fc			\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Utah	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Vermont	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Virginia	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc			\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Washington	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
West Virginia	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc
Wisconsin	\u00fc		\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc			\u00fc		\u00fc
Wyoming	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc		\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc	\u00fc

There is no federal law that specifically applies to bullying. In some cases, when bullying is based on race or ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, disability, or religion*, bullying overlaps with harassment and schools are legally obligated to address it. Read more about when bullying overlaps with harassment and how to report it to the U.S. Department of Education\u2019s Office for Civil Rights and U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. See also Federal Laws.
To better understand the distinction between law, policies and regulations, go to http://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/sites/default/files/resources/tclc-fs-laws-policies-regs-commonterms-2015.pdf

Common Components of State Anti-Bullying Laws and Regulations, by State

To better understand the distinction between law, policies and regulations, go to http://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/sites/default/files/resources/tclc-fs-laws-policies-regs-commonterms-2015.pdf