Anti-Bullying Law Has Positive Elements

Dear Editor,
    Re: your article on anti-bullying legislation [“Strama Takes Anti-Bullying Laws to the Next Level,” Newsdesk blog, Dec. 10]: We appreciate your willingness to highlight alternatives to expulsion and the role of broader school-discipline practices in preventing bullying in the first place. However, to be clear and as was stressed to the reporter, Texans Care for Children supports many positive elements of House Bill 224, ranging from parent notification to training for parents, students, and teachers on the measures to address "cyber-bullying" and the improvements in school planning.
    Our organization's key areas of policy include children's mental health, child protection, and juvenile justice. We take seriously the need both to protect children who are victims of bullying and to respond to offenders in ways that can put them on a path to better choices.