Two New York State legislators push for online bullying survey

ALBANY — Two New York legislators say they plan to gather information the rest of this year through an online survey to determine the extent of so-called cyberbullying among young people around the state. State Sen. Jeffrey Klein of the Bronx and Assemblyman William Scarborough of Queens say the New York Cyberbully Census is expected to provide a comprehensive picture of the problem. The 12-question anonymous survey can be found at www.nycyberbullycensus.com. It's aimed at students in grades three through 12 in New York, and is designed to gauge student attitudes and experiences with online bullying. Klein says the information should help lawmakers understand the scope of the problem and build coalitions to combat it. They have proposed legislation that would establish a manslaughter felony to intentionally cause a suicide through online bullying.