Cyberbullying Ban Unanimously Passes House

The Florida House Thursday continued the perfect voting streak for a bill that would add cyberbullying to the state's antibullying measures.

HB 609 passed the full House in the same manner it had passed its previous three committees, unanimously.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Reggie Fullwood, D-Jacksonville, changes thestatutorydefinition of bullying to include cyberbullying as "bullying through the use of specified technology or electronic communications; the creation of a webpage or weblogin which the creator assumes the identity of another person or the knowing impersonation of another person as theauthor of posted content or messages; or the distribution by electronic means of a communication to more than oneperson or the posting of material on an electronic medium that is accessible to others."

The cyberbullying bill does not limit the action to the use of computers but also extends it to cell phones and other related technology.

The law also makes actionable cyberbullying that occurs off school grounds if it "interferes with orlimits the victims ability to participate or benefit from the services, activities, or opportunities offered by aschool or substantially disrupts the education process or orderly operation of a school."

While 49 states have laws against bullying, only 16 other states specifically include cyberbullying.