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Richard Piatt reporting Bullying and hazing can have devastating consequences on children, but putting a stop to the practice in Utah's public schools is elusive. It's a job one state lawmaker wants to make easier.
Bullying and hazing are tough things to prove. There is a fine line between teasing and full out bullying, between a harmless initiations and hazing. But if you've ever talked to someone who is a victim of those lines being crossed, it can be devastating.
In fact, a lot of young people suffer for years after being bullied. Some even consider committing suicide. The concern is that schools often have weak policies or simply don't respond to the issues because they don't know what to do.
Rep. Carol Spackman Moss is bringing House Bill 325--a bullying and hazing bill--to lawmakers to try and establish some guidelines. She says she wants to make a statement that these actions are not OK.
Young people who have seen or been victims of this brutal behavior by their peers came to speak out.
"I've witnessed and experienced first hand bullying and hazing; and it's just a really important issue that needs to be addressed and needs to be addressed immediately," high school senior Cara Cerise said.
"[With] how many times I got bullied there was no process whatsoever. They would just report it to the principal, I'd go to the principal's office, I'd explain what happened, and then they'd say, 'Well, we'll talk to them.' And then nothing happened," explained Jared Short, who was bullied as a child.
The House Education Committee decided to table the issue, to save it for another day, but some lawmakers were concerned the bill might violate free speech or be abused by someone simply wanting attention. Moss promised to address those concerns before the bill comes up again
The young people who showed up today want action and are impatient at the Capitol Hill bureaucracy. They're just hoping this elusive, yet serious issue doesn't slip away.
