Alyssa Rodemeyer leads brave effort to strengthen laws against bullying

Updated: May 5, 2012, 11:23 PM

It can be difficult to legislate against teasing, commonly seen as a rite of passage for children, but when the teasing devolves into something much worse and even dangerous, it is appropriate for lawmakers to respond.

Such is the case following last September's suicide of 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer, a gay Williamsville North freshman, who repeatedly discussed being bullied on his blog.

The tragic circumstances surrounding his death raised the American consciousness on the topic of bullying and what it means in the Internet age.

It also made clear the 2010 Dignity for All Students Act, heralded at the time as a major step against bullying, didn't go far enough in addressing bullying through new technology, including text messaging, email and social media. And, critics say, it didn't specifically use the term "bullying," instead opting to focus on "harassment."

After a two-month investigation by Amherst police, officers said the types of behavior they found that led to Jamey's suicide would not have counted even as misdemeanors, much less felonies, under current law.

That's why bills introduced by State Assemblywoman Jane Corwin, R-Clarence, and State Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer, R-Amherst, should win support.

The bills are an effort to root out the worst of the abusive behavior enabled by the new communications technology. This includes various forms of taunting, threatening, tormenting, intimidating, insulting and humiliating behavior. The bills also target the dissemination of embarrassing or sexually explicit photographs, either actual or modified, of a minor, or disseminating the private, personal or sexual information, whether factual or false, of a minor.