Press Releases

Today, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) introduced the Bullying Redress and Verified Enforcement (BRAVE) Act, legislation that would address bullying within schools.

“Bullying has devastating consequences for our children and their education, and it should not be tolerated in our schools,” Rep. Cartwright said. “As parents, we want to send our kids to school each day knowing they are in a safe, nurturing environment where they can learn and grow. We need to improve awareness and oversight of school bullying, because no student should ever feel afraid in their classroom.”

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, over five million middle and high school students experience bullying in a single school year. Research has shown that these students, along with the students who bully them, are more likely to experience negative outcomes, such as anxiety and depression, substance abuse, suicide, poor academic performance and diminished earning potential later in life. 

The bill requires school personnel to report all instances of peer-to-peer bullying to school districts. In addition to increasing oversight of this pervasive problem, the bill will make it easier for students to seek legal recourse in cases in which severe bullying has gone unaddressed. To ensure compliance, the bill establishes a procedure for families to submit complaints to the Office of Civil Rights for the Department of Education.