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Petition for New York Cyberbullying Laws (Jamey's Law)
  1. Signatures
    3,215 out of 5,000
    Petitioning
    1. New York State Legislature
  2. Created By
    Kaitlin Monte
    Astoria, NY
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates
Why This Is Important

In May of 2011, 14 year old Jamey Rodemeyer posted an It Get's Better video.

On September 18th, the Buffalo student committed suicide.

Jamey was a longtime victim of online bullying and harassment. Jamey had no legal grounds of protection from attackers who continued to harass him online. The only solution he found was to end his life.

The shock of Jamey's suicide serves as a grave reminder of the potentially lethal nature of Cyberbullying.  It is no secret that teens account for the highest percentage of suicides in the United States, and Jamey's story has become all too common in recent years. Currently, there are no laws in New York State protecting children and teens from online harassment from peers.  Parents and schools are unable to fully assist students facing such attacks.  Rapid growth in social media and digital communication technology requires a matching increase in protections for its youth users.  In response to Jamey's death, New Yorkers are looking to Albany to develop such legal tools.

Through this petition, we seek to encourage New York lawmakers to bring the issue of Cyberbullying to committee and initiate a conversation to determine if current laws are properly protecting victims of online peer attacks.

We, the undersigned, know that this effort must be accompanied by a state-wide community commitment to supporting and protecting our youth from the dangers of social media and digital communication technology though education and resource development on the local level. We understand that legislation may only serve as a partial solution but support it in hopes that it will aid our local efforts to improve the health and safety of our youth.

This mission is in honor of Jamey Rodemeyer and all teens who resorted to suicide due to lack of appropriate legal resources.  May we come together to save the lives of our youth.

Why People Are Signing
Recent Signatures

Pass Cyberbullying Laws for New York State (Jamey's Law)

Hello,

In May of 2011, Jamey Rodemeyer of Buffalo, NY, posted an It Get's Better video encouraging others to embrace their true selves just as he had, despite his longtime battle with online bullying.

In September, 14 year old Jamey committed suicide.

It is no secret that teens in the United State account for the highest percentage of suicides, and Jamey’s story has become all too common in recent years. Currently, there are no laws in New York State protecting children and teens from online harassment from peers. Parents and schools are unable to fully assist students facing such attacks. Rapid growth in social media and digital communication technology requires a matching increase in protection resources for its youth users.

In response to Jamey's death, New Yorkers are looking to Albany to develop the legal tools to protect young victims of online bullying from its proven lethal potential. Through this petition, we seek to encourage New York lawmakers to bring the issue of Cyberbullying to committee and initiate a conversation to determine if current laws are properly protecting victims of online peer attacks.

We, the undersigned, know that this effort must be accompanied by a state-wide community commitment to supporting and protecting our youth from the dangers of social media and digital communication technology though education and resource development on the local level. We understand that legislation may only serve as a partial solution but support it in hopes that it will aid our local efforts to improve the health and safety of our youth.

This mission is in honor of all teens who resorted to suicide due to lack of appropriate resources. May we come together to save the lives of our youth.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

[Your name]