Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 51

Introduced by Senator Lieu

(Coauthors: Senators Hueso, Lara, Leno, and Liu)

June 17, 2013

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 51—Relative to California Bullying Prevention Day.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SCR 51, as introduced, Lieu. California Bullying Prevention Day.

This measure would declare December 12, 2013, as California Bullying Prevention Day, and would recognize the need for individuals, schools, communities, businesses, local governments, and the state to take action on behalf of bullying prevention in California.

Fiscal committee: no.

WHEREAS, Bullying, a form of violence among children and
youth, is common on school playgrounds, in neighborhoods, and
in homes throughout California; and

WHEREAS, Bullying behaviors are recognized as dangerous
and harmful acts that victimize the targeted child and bystanders.
Bullying is a pattern of deliberate, negative, hurtful, aggressive
acts that works to shift the balance of physical, emotional, or social
power; and

WHEREAS, Bullying may take many forms, such as physical,
verbal, and relational or social. Physical bullying and verbal
bullying are usually considered to be a direct form, while relational
bullying refers to an indirect form of bullying, such as social
exclusion and spreading rumors; and

WHEREAS, As computers and cell phones are rapidly becoming
popular for adolescents, cyberbullying, or electronic bullying, is
emerging as a new form of bullying. Cyberbullying can be defined
as a form of aggression that occurs through personal computers
or cell phones; and

WHEREAS, The prevalence of bullying among children and
youth is staggering, with studies nationally suggesting that 28
percent of students were bullied at school and 6 percent were
cyberbullied; and

WHEREAS, School bullying has been identified as a
problematic behavior among adolescents, affecting school
achievement, prosocial skills, and psychological well-being for
both victims and perpetrators; and

WHEREAS, Children and youth who are bullied are more likely
than other children to be depressed, lonely, or anxious; to have
low self-esteem; to experience headaches, stomachaches, tiredness,
and poor eating; to be absent from school, dislike school, and have
poor school performance; and to think about suicide or try to
commit suicide; and

WHEREAS, Bullying can affect the social environment of a
school, creating a climate of fear among students, inhibiting their
ability to learn, and leading to other antisocial behavior; and

WHEREAS, If students are in fear for their own safety, they
are unable to concentrate on learning. An estimated 160,000
students stay home from school every day due to bullying, thereby
impacting student achievement; and

WHEREAS, Bullying has long-term ramifications for public
safety. A bully is six times more likely than a person who is not a
bully to be incarcerated by the age of 24; and

WHEREAS, Bullying is a cyclical problem and will not end
without intervention. Two-thirds of students who are targets
become bullies themselves; and

WHEREAS, Prevention of bullying requires coordination and
understanding. Twenty-five percent of students say that teachers
intervened in bullying incidents, while 71 percent of teachers say
they have intervened; and

WHEREAS, When collaboration occurs, the impact is
tremendous. In schools where there are bullying prevention
programs, bullying has been reduced by 50 percent; and

WHEREAS, The most effective model is a comprehensive
program using a combination of interventions schoolwide, at the
classroom level, and at the individual level to create a social
environment characterized by positive adult involvement, firm
limits for unacceptable behavior, consistent use of sanctions for
rule violations, and recognition that adults are the authorities; and

WHEREAS, Restorative justice may be the most appropriate
way to prevent bullying. The aim of restorative justice is to
reintegrate those affected by wrongdoing back into the community
as resilient and responsible members. Restorative justice is a form
of conflict resolution that aims to make it clear to the offender that
his or her offending behavior is not condoned, while at the same
time being supportive and respectful of the individual; and

WHEREAS, Current trends in prevention use programs that are
designed for middle to high school students. However, new
research shows that most bullying starts in elementary school,
specifically in grades 2 to 5, inclusive, and therefore, intervention
should start earlier; and

WHEREAS, Writer, actor, director, and producer Gerry Orz
was nine years of age when he created a film called “Day of
Silence.” The film targets elementary and middle school students
and truthfully depicts the life of a youth who is emotionally and
physically bullied by a peer; and

WHEREAS, Gerry’s compelling story mixes fiction and reality
to demonstrate how bullying impacts a youth’s schoolwork, family,
and well-being. He shares strategies for students, parents, and
schools that can protect children from being bullied; and

WHEREAS, Gerry decided to produce the video after being
bullied at school. He wanted to speak out and encourage others to
do the same in order to break the silence; and

WHEREAS, Gerry has turned an awful experience into a story
that will prevent bullying and be a source of hope for victims. In
addition to his film, Gerry has started a campaign to organize a
global day of silence on December 12, 2013, in an effort to raise
awareness about bullying. Gerry suggested other means of
supporting Bullying Prevention Day for those supporters who are
unable to stay silent on December 12, 2013; and

WHEREAS, Providing a safe school environment for children
and youth is a family, community, state, and national priority; and

WHEREAS, The future well-being of our state depends on the
value we place on our children and youth and, in particular, on our
actions to provide our young people with opportunities to acquire
knowledge and develop into healthy and productive adults; now,
therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Legislature declares December 12,
2013, as California Bullying Prevention Day, and recognizes the
need for all of us as individuals, schools, communities, businesses,
local governments, and the state to take action on behalf of bullying
prevention in California; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.