Legislatures Take on the Schoolyard Bully.

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Littleton, Colorado: The perpetrators of the deadly Columbine shooting were later described as kids who did not "fit in" and were teased for being different.

As long as there have been schoolyards, there have been bullies. But the consequences have grown increasingly more serious. While bullying may be part of what happens at school, when certain students are harassed too much their rage may turn, in rare instances, to murder. Most school shooting incidents have been motivated by revenge, according to recent Secret Service research.

Recognizing that bullying can be the precursor to more serious violence, legislatures are struggling with how to define it, how far to go to stop it and how much discretion to allow local schools. In general, bullying usually refers to threats or physical actions that either harm someone else or make another person afraid of harm, but there is no standard definition. Some states also include bullying in their definitions of "hazing" or "harassment."

Colorado recently passed Senate Bill 80, requiring school districts to create specific policies about bullying education and submit them to the state department of education. House sponsor Representative Don Lee says the bill was designed to "spread awareness...

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