BOSTON – Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley issued the following statement today regarding the anti-bullying legislation released by the Joint Committee on Education yesterday:

“While bullying has been a pervasive problem in our communities for years, 21st Century technologies have only magnified the problem, allowing children to bully and harass one another with the mere click of a mouse.  The bill released by the Joint Committee on Education yesterday is an excellent first step toward addressing the root causes of bullying through education and bringing schools and communities together to proactively prevent bullying in the first place.  I applaud the Legislature’s leadership on this issue—particularly Representative Martha Walz and Senator Robert O’Leary--and look forward to working with the Legislature, state agencies, and other community stakeholders toward a comprehensive approach to tackling this problem.”

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