A new study suggests that the implementation of anti-bullying laws by the States reduces bullying and cyberbullying among high school students, Healthday reports.
"This research is important because it gives us a sense that anti-bullying legislation works," said lead researcher Mark Hatzenbuehler, co-director of the Center for the Study of Social Inequalities and Health at Columbia University in New York City.
The researchers found that 24 percent of the states that adopted at least one component of the U.S. Department of Education guidelines on bullying in their anti-bullying laws saw lower odds of bullying. These states also saw 20 percent lower odds of cyberbullying.
"Anti-bullying policies are an important part of a comprehensive strategy for preventing bullying among youth," he said.
The report was published online Oct. 5 in JAMA Pediatrics.
For the study, researchers reviewed data on more than 63,000 high school students from 25 U.S public and private high schools.
"This research uncovered specific components of anti-bullying laws that were most effective in reducing bullying and cyberbullying," Hatzenbuehler said.
"For example, laws were particularly effective if they included a description of how bullying is defined and where the legislation applies," he said.
Hatzenbuehler said that the study would pinpoint the laws that are most effective for curbing bullying. He said that laws were a necessary part of the solution. Forty-nine states have anti-bullying laws, with the exception of Montana.
