Do antibullying laws in the United States have an impact?

Abstract

Bullying is an omnipresent problem with high prevalence in children and adolescents. There are many antibullying state laws and practices in place however its real level impact is ambiguous at best. We studied the prevalence of bullying in the United States, examine the practices, laws, and interventions in place to prevent bullying and its real-life impact. Various studies have reported that the ground-level change brought about by these policies and programs varies and is not quite significant. The effectiveness of existing policies and legislations remains unclear and measurable objective change or impact is not yet observed. Therefore, a rethink of the strategies is needed. The focus must be on community-level programs and interventions with inclusive approaches involving all the stakeholders are critical for addressing this menace.