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Know your rights! Youth justice and juvenile law answers.

Askthejudge.info features regular updates from the news, important decisions from the nation′s courts, and online discussions with Judge Tom. Find out everything you need to know about youth rights, juvenile law and juvenile justice. AsktheJudge – Empowering youth one question at a time.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this site is made available to the general public and is not intended to serve as legal advice.You should consult a trained legal professional in your area for questions you may have about the laws affecting juveniles or any legal interpretations.

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May 21, 2013
Natalie Jacobs
Blog
2

Bullying cases gone too far?

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Teen at school

Last month, an eighth grade student in New Jersey was on trial for allegedly calling another student “fat”, “horse” and “fat a$#”. The boy claims he just called her “horse” and nothing more and that such name-calling does not violate New Jersey’s anti-bullying law. Therefore, he and his parents decided to take the bullying case to trial and fight against the charge being on his permanent record.

Anti-bullying laws like the one passed in New Jersey in 2011 were created with the intent to protect students and prevent such tragic cases of bullycide like the suicide of the Rutgers freshman Tyler Clementi. There have been a number of bullying cases  in court under New Jersey’s strict anti-bullying law where families have gone to trial or are facing charges. One other case involves a student retweeting a list of female classmates’ names with the word grenade written next to them meaning “the ugly girl always found with a group of hotties.”

Teen at school

Photo by Jesse Millan

Are schools overreacting to typical playground behavior by too quickly labeling incidents “bullying?” Or has the bullying epidemic reached the point that serious consequences must be imposed for any and all acts that may constitute bullying? Is one act of name-calling enough to be considered bullying? Where do you draw the line between freedom of speech and consequences for cruel, mean-spirited, etc. speech?

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Natalie Jacobs

The Author Natalie Jacobs

Natalie is the co-author of 'Every Vote Matters: the Power of Your Voice, from Student Elections to the Supreme Court' (Free Spirit Publishing), which she wrote with her father Judge Tom. Prior to joining the AsktheJudge.info team, Natalie worked as a criminal defense attorney. She is passionate about helping youth find their voice and becoming engaged members of their community. She also volunteers for a case involving climate change litigation.

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