Today, the New York State Assembly approved legislation to protect New York schoolchildren from the growing scourge of cyberbullying. The legislation builds on Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell’s anti-bullying legislation, the Dignity for All Students Act, which was signed into law in 2010. The addition of cyberbullying will make New York’s anti-bullying protections among the most comprehensive in the nation.

O’Donnell stated,

Many of our state’s vulnerable children feel the effects of cyberbullying every day. This is simply unacceptable. With our vote today, the NY Assembly took a stand against these often devastating actions and said “yes” to helping protect our state’s innocent students.

I’m proud that this legislation incorporates findings from the most cutting-edge research, which tells us that to truly protect our children, we need to change school culture and address bullying before it even occurs. After-the-fact punishment just doesn’t achieve the same results and can even make the problem worse. I send my sincere thanks to Speaker Silver and my Assembly co-sponsors for yet again leading the way on this crucial issue.

The legislation now awaits signature by Governor Cuomo.