Are Michigan’s anti-bullying laws keeping up with technology?

Michigan’s anti-bullying law requires schools to have policies and plans for bullying. The Matt Epling Safe School Law has been in place since 2011, but insiders tell us that while most school districts have something on paper -- most policies are outdated, inconsistent, or not well understood -- and that can make it hard to keep up with technology. “Cyberbullying doesn’t just hurt feelings. It’s not just something kids get over. It hurts the way that they see the world. It takes away their security, it takes away their safety, it takes away their innocence,” Jamie Kaniarz, the Executive Director of Defeat the Label said. Defeat the Label is a nonprofit with a mission to create a safer, more inclusive school community. They offer anti-bullying school based programs. “These parents are seeing their children change before their eyes because of cyberbullying, because we are continuing to give younger and younger kids access to technology that they are not emotionally, mentally, or in any other way prepared for,” Kaniarz said.