Cyberbullying laws considered, US-wide

The Associated Press story leads with this cyberbullying tragedy: the suicide of Ryan Patrick Halligan at the age of 13 after being bullied online for months. Classmates sent him "instant messages calling him gay. He was threatened, taunted and insulted incessantly by so-called cyberbullies," the AP reports. Across the US, states are considering various sorts of crackdowns against cyberbullying, including legislation. There's no easy solution. The AP quotes an educator questioning whether laws can change bad behavior. Maybe if the legislation requires public schools to address the issue? "In Arkansas, the state Senate this month passed a bill calling on school districts to set up policies to address cyberbullying only after it was amended to settle concerns about students' free-speech rights," the AP reports. Check out this thorough report on efforts in Vermont, Rhode Island, Oregon, Washington, and South Carolina as well.