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New Anti-Bullying Program Shows Promise in New Hampshire

Nine-week program that teaches good morals, ethics and behaviors has resulted in increased reporting of incidents.

In an effort to identify the best ways to comply with the 2010 legislation which requires schools to take a proactive stance on bullying and harassment, three New Hampshire schools are piloting a new program to educate students about it, reports the Foster's Daily Democrat.. The program, Courage to Care, was developed using funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to be used specifically in rural area schools. Students meet with an educator once a week for nine weeks and go over lessons that focus on morals, ethics and good behaviors. They are encouraged to have dialogue between themselves and with their parents and teachers. The program has already enjoyed success with the pilot schools, showing increases in the number of reported incidents of bullying. In addition, other states including Kentucky, Missouri, and Kansas, have expressed interest in adopting the program. Currently forty-nine states (all but Montana) have anti-bullying laws on the books and eleven states have pending legislation to strengthen existing statutes according to the Cyber Bullying Research Center.

Brian Peteritas is a GOVERNING contributor.
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