Is the rush by politicians to get tough on cyber-bullying becoming an overly crowded bandwagon?
That could be the case in New York City, where the city’s Human Rights Commission came out yesterday against a City Council member’s proposal to mandate education on cyber-bullying.
"To be effective in reaching the targets of our educational programs, the commission must be able to adapt quickly," a Human Rights Commission official was quoted as telling a City Council hearing. "That flexibility would be hampered by this proposed legislation."
It’s not that the commission opposes efforts to educate kids about the problem, its chairwoman said in a statement. Indeed, the commission has its own set of training sessions on cyber-bulling.
"The commission opposes any form of bullying and looks forward to working with the City Council to formulate effective legislation that is inclusive of all types of bias-related harassment," said the statement, which was reported by DNAinfo, a local news site in Manhattan.
It doesn’t sound as if the commission’s objections will slow the legislation though. Most council members already support the bill and the sponsor says he expects the commission to fall in line.