New Mexico AG backs 2 proposals to combat cyberbullying and hazing
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – State lawmakers will return to Santa Fe in just a few days for the upcoming 60-day legislative session, where there are already countless issues waiting to be addressed.
Now, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez is adding cyberbullying and hazing to the list. He says New Mexico is one of just six states that does not already have laws dealing with these issues. He adds recent hazing incidents at New Mexico State University and a growing number of cyberbullying-related suicides are evidence enough that something needs to change.
“It’s far past time for New Mexico to move on these issues,” said Torrez.
Torrez is giving New Mexico state lawmakers the path forward with two new proposals: one criminalizing hazing and introducing punishments for not reporting hazing, and the other criminalizing cyberbullying that results in psychological or physical harm.
“Every student deserves to feel valued, supported and not degraded or endangered. So together, these bills represent a commitment to the well-being of New Mexico’s children, both online and in the real world,” said state Sen. Moe Maestas.
Maestas is planning to sponsor both bills during the upcoming legislative session after witnessing the devastating effects of cyberbullying.
“I have a childhood friend whose son committed suicide about 10 to 12 years ago down in Los Lunas, and some of it was attributable to the bullying he was receiving. A lot of it online,” said Maestas.
According to a Pew Research Center Poll, at least 46% of American teens have experienced some form of cyberbullying, almost hand in hand with a staggering increase in teen suicides.
“We’re not going to say that the kind of bullying or things that we’ve seen go on didn’t occur before the technology, but what you have seen is that the technology itself amplifies its reach and amplifies the potential harm,” said Torrez.
He believes there needs to be legal consequences for that kind of behavior along with hazing, another well-documented issue with devastating consequences.
“We’ve seen heartbreaking tragedies, even lives lost and futures shattered, all due to senseless acts of humiliation and harm disguised as tradition. This is unacceptable,” said Maestas.
Torrez says his bill is a direct response to the New Mexico State University men’s basketball team hazing scandal, where several players say they were sexually assaulted multiple times without any intervention from coaches.
While sexual assault is a crime on its own, Torrez says his hazing bill will allow prosecutors to address the psychological pressures at play.
“There are situations where a member of a team, because they’re trying to be a part of a team, would appear to go along with something because they feel pressured to do that,” Torrez said. “That’s why it, in fact, calls for a different framework for analyzing the conduct and enforcing the penalties.”
Two proposals with one shared goal.
“95% of folks follow the law because it’s the law. And so this will just send a message to every teenager, every mom, every community, that this is not acceptable behavior,” said Maestas.
This is not the first time we’ve seen an anti-hazing or anti-cyberbullying bill in the Roundhouse. In fact, state lawmakers have tried to pass this legislation multiple times but faced rejection or simply ran out of time.
Torrez says the time for waiting is over.
“It’s time for our representative bodies to be mindful first and foremost about who they’re representing and what values they place at the top of the list,” said Torrez. “Because if you showed this, including the proposed criminal penalties, to the citizens of this community and the citizens of this state, without seeing one bit of polling, I’ll bet you right now that they’re in alignment and support with this. For the usual voices who will complain about criminalizing this act, this kind of activity, they are in a distinct minority.”
Torrez knows there will be concerns about introducing new criminal penalties for teen suspects, but he believes there needs to be more accountability for these potentially dangerous acts.