Coakley To Testify For Bullying Committee

BOSTON (AP) -- Attorney General Martha Coakley is continuing her campaign to clamp down on bullying in schools.

Coakley is planning to testify Tuesday before the Legislature's Joint Committee on Education on recommendations from a special bullying commission.

The commission was created under a 2010 anti-bullying law approved by lawmakers and signed by Gov. Deval Patrick. One goal of the law is to help prevent suicides related to bullying.

The commission's recommendations include requiring schools to collect annual data on bullying and to submit that information to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Another recommendation would require schools to state in their anti-bullying plans that certain categories of students are particularly vulnerable to bullying and harassment.

The commission also looked at so-called cyberbullying through the use of the Internet and social media.

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