By Senator Jim Tedisco

This coming week, children across New York head back to school for a new year of learning and growing.

Unfortunately, for far too many children, a new school year is a time of great anxiety for those who fear the awful physical and emotional abuse of being relentlessly bullied at school.

Earlier this year, the state Comptroller issued a startling report that shows bullying at schools is on the rise and “even exceeding pre-pandemic highs.” 

According to the Comptroller’s Report, in the 2023-24 school year (the most recent data available), bullying made up 61.8 percent of all incidents reported to the State Education Department (a total of 29,718 incidents).

In 2017-18, the bullying rates reported were 10.2 incidents per 1,000 students statewide, which was the pre-pandemic high.

That’s now skyrocketed to a new high of 18.2 incidents per 1,000 students.

It’s heartbreaking that any child should face such anguish from going to school each day due to bullying.

As any adult can attest, bullying has existed within the bricks and mortar of our schools for years.

It used to be that once a child left school grounds and got off the bus, they were largely free from the unforgiving taunts and persistent physical abuse caused by bullies. In many cases, the emotional toll caused by bullying can be just as painful, if not more so, than the physical toll.

The prevalence of social media and smart phones have compounded the problem by giving bullies a weapon of mass destruction to harass and torment their victims exponentially 24-7.

Thanks to the internet and social media apps like TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and YouTube, there is no escape and no sanctuary from the emotional trauma inflicted by bullies.

Bullying makes kids feel embarrassed and many children would rather endure the pain than communicate this issue with their parents.

Unfortunately, when the pain gets so great, they may not only hurt themselves but also strike out against the bullies in violent ways.

The state’s Dignity for All Students Act, which was passed in 2012, requires school districts to report incidents of bullying to the state Education Department. However, it doesn’t mandate or require schools to do the same notification for the parents when their child has been bullied or is believed to be the perpetrator of bullying.

This gap in state law has become fatal.

In April 2015, 13-year-old Jacobe Taras of Moreau tragically took his own life as a result of bullying. Jacobe’s parents, Christine and Richard Taras, were not notified by Jacobe’s school of the extent of bullying he faced.

This is just one of many heartbreaking stories of young people injuring themselves or worse yet taking or attempting to take their own lives because of bullying. 

That’s why I have sponsored “Jacobe’s Law,” named in Jacobe Taras’s memory to require that schools notify parents when a child is being threatened by a bully.  “Jacobe’s Law” (Senate bill S.16) requires that school employees charged with receiving reports of harassment, bullying or discrimination contact the parents or guardians of the students involved – both the bullies and the victims -- in an incident of bullying or harassment.

“Jacobe’s Law” is a non-partisan bill, with several Democratic sponsors and twice passed the Senate. Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh is sponsoring the bill in the Assembly.

We ask a lot of parents right now as it relates to their children’s education. Shouldn’t parents be made aware of threats of violence to their children so they can take the action they deem appropriate and have input on decisions of how best to protect their children’s safety.

If the statistics and incidences of bullying are important enough to report to State Ed, then they are important enough to make parents aware to intervene and develop a plan of action to potentially help avert a tragedy. 

I’ve asked many times to parents, education officials and colleagues, “if your child was bullied in school, wouldn’t you want to know?”

Not a single person has ever said, “no.”

I trust parents to inform and empower them so they can be a part of making the best decisions to protect their children.

As kids head back to school, it’s time the legislature put an end to unchecked school bullying.