Should Teachers and Other Educators be Required to Report Bullying? (H.R. 6148)

What is H.R. 6148?

(Updated May 15, 2020)

This bill — known as the BRAVE Act — would require school officials to report bullying incidents and resolutions to designated authorities. It would also require local educational agencies to publish quarterly reports on bullying in their schools, and for schools to certify compliance with the Department of Education before they can receive federal funding.

The bill’s full title is the Bullying Redress and Verified Enforcement Act.

Argument in favor

Bullying has real, documented negative effects on children’s development and educational outcomes. It is in the federal government’s interest to prevent bullying in school environments, and to withhold funding from schools or school districts that fail to prevent bullying.

Argument opposed

While more needs to be done to address and prevent bullying in schools, a federal mandate that school officials report bullying incidents to law enforcement goes too far and inhibits the ability of state and local educational authorities to develop their own best practices.

Impact

Schoolchildren; bullied children; educators; and local law enforcement.

Cost of H.R. 6148

A CBO cost estimate for this bill is unavailable.

Additional Info

In-Depth: Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA) introduced this bill to create school environments that prevent bullying and make children feel safe:

“Bullying can have destructive consequences on our children and their education… as a parent and a member of Congress, I believe we must take steps to create a school environment that prevents bullying and where our children can feel safe."

There is one cosponsor of this bill, also a Democrat.

Of Note: More than 1 in 5 students in the U.S. report being bullied, and 33% of students who reported being bullied at school indicated that they were bullied at least 1-2 times a month during the school year. These students are at heightened risk for poor school adjustment, sleep difficulties, anxiety, depression, mental health and behavioral health problems, and maladjustment. They are also twice as likely as their non-bullied peers to experience negative health effects, such as headaches and stomachaches.

Media:

• Washington Examiner (Previous Version)