Anti-Bullying Programs Backfire, Used as Excuse to Censor Conservative Speech

Countless tax dollars have been spent on anti-bullying programs, and 49 states have anti-bullying laws. After New Jersey passed a broad anti-bullying law, hundreds of schools "snapped up a $1,295 package put together by a consulting firm that includes a 100-page manual." But a University of Texas researcher found that anti-bullying programs increase bullying, and "actually teach students different bullying techniques - and even educate about new ways to bully" classmates: "A lot of schools spend countless hours trying to stop bullying. But . . . University of Texas at Arlington criminologist Seokjin Jeong analyzed data collected from 7,000 students from all 50 states. "He thought the results would be predictable and would show that anti-bullying programs curb bullying. Instead - he found the opposite. "Jeong said it was, "A very disappointing and a very surprising thing. Our anti-bullying programs, either intervention or prevention does not work." "The study concluded that students at schools with anti-bullying programs might actually be more likely to become a victim of bullying. It also found that students at schools with no bullying programs were less likely to become victims.  The term "bullying" is increasingly being used as an excuse for censorship of speech protected by the First Amendment, such as anti-abortion advocacy, publicly revealing the names of students who vandalized a pro-life exhibit, student newspaper editorials criticizing gay marriage, and criticism of shoddy academic research on subjects such as the history of firearms...more