Tennessee Teens Could Lose Driver's License Over Bullying, Under New Law

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Every popular civilization bully has nan aforesaid calling card: a smug grin, a cigarette, and a cool car they decidedly didn't salary for — aliases did by questionable means. But nether Tennessee's caller law, that past part's successful jeopardy. Starting July 1, Tennessee teenagers recovered blameworthy of bullying could suffer their expertise to legally thrust for a afloat year. This isn't a segment from a dystopian section of "Black Mirror: DMV Edition." It's a existent rule designed to dainty bullying not conscionable arsenic a schoolyard problem, but arsenic an discourtesy pinch real-world repercussions.

As Rep. Lowell Russell put it, "I simply sewage tired of thing being done to extremity bullying." Under this law, if a teen is recovered blameworthy successful juvenile tribunal for harassment by measurement of bullying aliases cyberbullying, nan tribunal must suspend their drivers license aliases hold their eligibility to get 1 for a afloat year. That includes students who haven't moreover gotten their learner's licence yet. The connection is clear — repetition bullies now return nan bus, but not nan nosy party buses Nashville is known for.

Supporters for illustration Rep. Russell opportunity it's astir hitting bullies wherever it hurts most. A driver's licence to a teen is simply a passport to nan world. At least, it utilized to be. Just 60% of 18-year-olds had a driver's licence per a caller Department of Transportation report, compared to complete 80% successful 1983. That nonaccomplishment of 'freedom' mightiness not sting arsenic difficult arsenic it utilized to. 

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The problem? There's a large quality betwixt punitive and preventive. While Tennessee's rule is simply a first of its benignant for bullying, it echoes a agelong database of leverage laws successful different states — for illustration Florida suspending licenses for kids skipping schoolhouse aliases baccy possession. Deterrence is 1 thing. It besides raises questions astir whether nan juvenile justness strategy is nan champion spot to reside teen conflict — particularly erstwhile that conflict stems from deeper trauma, not malice.

Which brings america to nan irony: nan rule responds to a intelligence wellness situation by enacting a punishment that tin worsen intelligence wellness outcomes. StopBullying argues that galore teens who bully are struggling pinch trauma themselves. Take distant their mobility and you besides return distant their entree to support systems for illustration therapy. In trying to protect victims, Tennessee whitethorn beryllium digging deeper holes for nan perpetrators — often troubled and successful request of support themselves. Even nan constricted restricted licence only specifically calls retired nan expertise to spell to school, work, aliases church. Leaving disconnected therapy aliases counseling seems for illustration a monolithic oversight.

At nan extremity of nan day, bullying is simply a superior rumor that demands action. Lawmakers are intelligibly losing patience pinch really agelong this has been a nationwide problem pinch excessively fewer solutions. Bullying needs to extremity — afloat stop. But stopping it intends much than conscionable suspending someone's expertise to drive. Tennessee's rule could beryllium a wake-up telephone — aliases conscionable different blunt instrumentality successful a strategy that seldom digs deeper than discipline.

If you aliases personification you cognize is experiencing bullying, StopBullying.gov offers resources, support, and strategies for intervention.