Binghamton Schools Plan to Combat Bullying

8/21/2012 (Updated 11:28:38 PM)

BINGHAMTON -- When kids go back to school in Binghamton, there will be some new programs in place to prevent bullying.

Today at the Binghamton Rotary meeting David Garbarino, Director of Health and Physical Education for Binghamton Schools, talked about The Dignity for All Students Act that went into effect in July.

The law specifically defines what constitutes bullying.  The school district's new policy will help train staff to identify it. 

Garbarino says that bullying is becoming a bigger problem now, than it was ten years ago because of technology.

"It wasn't as prevalent predominantly because of technology," he says.  "Now, when you text somebody, you can text 15 people like that [snaps fingers].  Where before, when they didn't have the technology you might be bullying one person but it didn't affect 25 others."

The new state legislation comes in response to the national attention to bullying after several teen suicides in the past few years.