Bullying is an unfortunate right of passage for many children and teenagers but efforts to crack down on bullies have been met, at best with mixed success. But lawmakers in Tennessee think they have a more effective approach, at least when it comes to teens, passing a new measure that will hit bullies where it hurts: by taking away their drivers’ licenses. Headlight.News has more.
TN Rep. Lowell Russell sponsored the new anti-bullying measure.
Starting this week, any minor in the State of Tennessee found guilty of bullying or cyberbulling faces the risk of losing their ability to drive for a year.
The measure was passed last year by an overwhelming bipartisan majority of the state’s House and Senate and went into effect on July 1.
“Taking away driving privileges will hopefully get the attention of bullies and deter them from being mean to others,” said Tennessee State Rep. Lowell Russell, who sponsored the bill.
An unfortunate rite of passage
Bullying has long been a problem according to experts on childhood behavior, studies indicating nearly one in three students from elementary through high school have been victims at least at one point, according to website MedicineNet. For anywhere from 10 to 14%, it reported, the bullying goes on for at least six months or more.
The problem, according to some experts, has only grown worse in the digital era, a 2022 study on cyberbullying indicating that “nearly half of U.S. teens have been bullied or harassed online, with physical appearance being seen as a relatively common reason why.”
Whichever form, bullying can range from name-calling to physical violence, though digital deepfakes have become increasingly common.
“I feel like it’s actually going to get worse because the way the world is now—everything is on the internet,” Kristy Prater, a Knoxville mother of three told TV station WBIR. Her oldest son, Kyle, had been bullied for years while in school.
The new law
A large share of children and teens have experienced some form of bullying or cyberbullying.
“Most acts of violence or suicides are results of being bullied,” State Representative Lowell Russell wrote on Facebook. “I sponsored this bill in hopes to prevent children from being bullied and in hopes to prevent tragic events.”
Tennessee lawmakers previously passed a measure aimed at outlining what constitutes bullying. It helps put a framework around the new law by creating a definition authorities can turn to.
The new measure says that any minor found guilty of bullying or cyberbullying in juvenile court will lose their driving privileges for a full year.
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A second chance
Minors convicted under the new law for a bullying offense occurring on or after July 1, 2025 could get a second chance.
A driver’s license is a rite of passage for most teens – but bullies could lose theirs under the new law.
First-time offenders will be given the opportunity to get a restricted license, as long as they apply wWithin 10 days of conviction. It will allow them to drive to essential activities, including school and religious services, but not for social events, nor to after-school activities.
“I love the premise behind this new law. There is no place for bullying in our society today,” David G. Ridings, a former prosecutor and part-time night court judge, told ABC News.
While the new law has generally won praise, some observers question whether it will solve the problem.
“I would like to see, going forward, movement towards working with the bullies,” Scott Payne, a manager for Contact Care Line, a Knoxville-based social services organization, told Knoxville TV station WVLT.
“Bullies aren’t just born. They don’t just pop up. They’re products of their environment. So we need to be talking with them and finding out what’s going on in their lives that’s bringing about this type of behavior from them.”
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