“More than anything I want, I want it to deter behavior. It`s important how you behave in public life, it`s important what you tell people,” she said. Toni Holness, the group`s director of public policy, said in February that the bill did not sufficiently define what constitutes a “real threat.” BALTIMORE (WJZ) – The state of Maryland has adopted precedents to prevent cyberbullying. The House of Representatives and Senate passed the bill unanimously. Prince George County District Attorney Aisha Braveboy (R) will attend a symposium in Washington, D.C. next week attended by nationally known Black activists. Under the law, bullying anyone under the age of 18 via a computer or smartphone can result in a fine of up to $500 or up to a year in jail. “It`s a statement, don`t abuse kids online, don`t send scary tweets and Facebook messages, etc., and you absolutely can`t go to the extreme of this epidemic of cyberbullying and kids making fun of each other for suicide and so on – all of this is now against the law,” Zirkin said. How can you help someone who is being bullied? Follow @WJZ on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook Under the new law, “a single meaningful act can get you in trouble,” he told reporters. “It will protect future children from things we couldn`t protect them from — the internet and social media and the hateful, dehumanizing things that are said in it and then shared with a lot of people,” McComas said. Zirkin said the 2013 law requires abusive comments to be sent to the person and must be part of a pattern of behavior. With the rise of social media, this has proven to be too high an obstacle, he said. Holness was also concerned about other words in the bill that had not been defined: encourage, provoke, sexual information, bullying, torment.
Bullying occurs when you are intentionally and repeatedly harassed or bullied by another student. Bullying can be verbal, physical, written or electronic. Bullying includes threats and unpleasant remarks, as well as physical acts such as pushing or hitting, written conduct and damaging your property. Bullying also includes electronic communications (e.g., telephone, cell phone, computer, social media). This is often referred to as “cyberbullying.” McComas` parents say their 15-year-old daughter committed suicide on Easter Sunday 2012 after being attacked online. Penalty: An offender is guilty of a misdemeanor and can be punished with imprisonment of up to 3 years and/or a fine of up to $10,000. However, an offender who intends to incite a minor to commit suicide is guilty of a misdemeanor and is liable to imprisonment for up to 10 years and/or a fine of up to $10,000. Dave McComas expressed hope that more parents will teach their children the importance of respecting others. “They tried everything,” he said of Grace`s parents, Christine and Dave McComas. “They went to the police, they went to school, they went to court. And they went to the family of the abuser.
And they were turned away at every point. Kittleman said he expects the law to be a proactive tool for law enforcement. Baltimore County Senator Bobby Zirkin, the main sponsor of both bills, has his own daughters. “It seems like the cat has its tongue now,” U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said of Republican public statements on abortion rights. Although the measure passed unanimously by the General Assembly — 45-0 in the Senate and 137-0 in the House of Representatives — it was challenged by the ACLU of Maryland. The new law, which comes into force on October 1, makes cyberbullying with the intent to incite a minor to commit suicide an offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Bottom line: If you are being bullied, talk to your parents, school officials or the police. “There was nowhere they could go.
There was no law to help them,” Zirkin said. The Senate gave its final approval last week to “Grace`s Law,” which was introduced by Del. Jon Cardin, a Baltimore County Democrat. It is considered bullying if the other student`s words or actions prevent you from doing well in school or enjoying extracurricular activities, or if the behavior significantly affects your physical or psychological well-being. Bullying is behaviour that occurs on school grounds, at a school activity or event, or on a school bus. Bullying is also considered behaviour that occurs elsewhere when it significantly disrupts the proper functioning of a school. “Electronic Communications” means the transmission of information, data, writings, images or communications by means of any computer or other electronic means, including electronic mail, instant messaging, websites, social media, network calls, faxes or any other Internet-based communication tool. “There is far too much discretion for prosecutors in these terms that are not defined,” she said. “We are not interested in accusing children, putting them in jail or punishing them,” McComas said.
“What we want to do is change behaviors to make the internet more user-friendly.” A student is bullied if he or she is repeatedly subjected to intentional negative actions by one or more students over time and his or her ability to participate in and benefit from the school`s educational programs or activities is compromised. Bullying causes harm through repeated negative behaviors in a relationship with a power imbalance. They lobbied for Grace`s Law, which imposed a year in jail and a $500 fine. But the language of the law made prosecution difficult. The Maryland State Department of Education`s website on bullying prevention provides the following information: Senator Allan Kittleman, a West Friendship Republican, sponsored the Senate version of the legislation. The General Assembly wants people to know that cyberbullying is not a joke, but a prison sentence. “This is historic legislation for Maryland,” he said. Senate Bill 103 and its roommate HB 181 were named Grace Law 2.0 by its main sponsor, Senator Bobby Zirkin (D-Baltimore County), because it was based on a measure passed in 2013 following the suicide of Howard County teenager Grace McComas. Kittleman said the bill was “one of the most important bills” he worked on during his eight years in the Senate. Has anyone passed that on to you? Get your own daily morning news summary in your inbox. Free.
Register here. Grace McComas, a 15-year-old student at Glenelg High School, committed suicide on Easter Sunday last year after repeatedly committing acts of cyberbullying via social media sites. A bill named after a Howard County teen who committed suicide after being bullied online would make it an offense to repeatedly and maliciously use a computer or smartphone to intimidate someone under 18. “I think in a few years we will have to revisit the issue with new technologies,” Tzirkin said. “But for now, it puts us ahead of all the other states that have dealt with this issue.” The McComas attended Thursday`s ceremony to sign the bill in Annapolis, where Hogan signed the bill. Christine McComas wore a button on her lapel with her daughter`s photo on it; Dave McComas wore a tie with the inscription “Amazing Grace” in a rainbow of colors. Zirkin said he plans to meet with U.S. Rep.
Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), a then-friend of the congressman in the state legislature, to discuss the possibility of a national push to combat cyberbullying. Zirkin, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the family`s ordeal motivated him to draft laws to give families more options when cyberbullying comes home.