What legal options do you have if your loved one is a victim of school bullying?

Despite a more intense public scrutiny on the epidemic of bullying in American schools, it remains an intractable problem that many children must deal with on a daily basis, whether in the cafeteria, on the school bus, or the playground. Education lawyers in Seattle WA frequently handle cases involving bullied children who have experienced abuse while attending Washington schools. Even worse, the modern reality of social media use means that bullying often continues even after school hours. 

So, what legal options do you have if your loved one is a victim of school bullying? The Washington education attorneys at Albert Law can help. For children who have been bullied at school, Washington law extends important legal protections and avenues for redress. 

The legal definition of bullying according to state law includes any acts that cause physical harm, that “substantially interfere” with a student’s education, or that disrupts the function of the school. With such broad definitions, school administrators have significant leeway for interpreting what constitutes “bullying.” Likewise, bullied children and their families in Washington have avenues for legal redress of their grievances. Experienced Washington education attorneys are experts at seeking justice for bullied children. 

Unfortunately for the many Washington schoolchildren who are bullied after hours or off of school property, the state’s extensive anti-bullying measures do not apply. However, once the abuse occurs within school premises, it becomes legally actionable according to the government’s anti-bullying protections. 

Washington’s criminal statutes related to bullying also cover “cyberstalking” in which the perpetrator utilizes social media, email, or text messaging to wage a bullying campaign against his or her target. 

In addition to the criminal route, families of bullied schoolchildren should also consider pursuing the avenue of civil litigation. The school and/or the parents of bullies may be held legally responsible for bullying in many cases and ordered to pay damages to the victims. 

If a child that you care about has been a victim of bullying at school, give Albert Law and their team of education lawyers in Seattle WA a call today to find out what options you have to correct the injustice.