In July 2010, the New York State "Dignity For All Students" Act was signed into law. It's an effort to ensure a safe and supportive school environment free from harassment and bullying.

Yet students continue to be bullied and school districts continue to look for ways to help.

Whether it's on the bus, in school, or through social media, bullying continues to be a significant problem across the nation and the state, including Niagara County.

"It is. That's true,” Holly Dickinson, Lockport City School District director of grants and district community programs, said. “Now that the kids are all back together again, we knew that it was going to be an adjustment period. We are adjusting to that. Students are adjusting to that. Families are adjusting to that. We have seen a little bit more frequent instances of bullying."

Dickinson leads grant funded projects for staff and students designed to end school violence, including bullying.

To help combat it, the district has added a significant amount of personnel, implemented several programs K through 12, and distributed bullying surveys to help empower students and allow them to grow socially and emotionally.

"We know there are serious long-term side effects of bullying,” Dickinson said. “There are times when you have to be reactive. Things happen you don't expect. You don't anticipate, and you have to be prepared for those reactive moments. The goal really is to be proactive. So the goal is to be working with staff, and students all along."

"We've seen an uptick in violence in our schools,” Niagara County legislator Owen Steed said. “An uptick in bullying. It's very sad."

Steed introduced a resolution last month that makes bullying a crime and holds parents accountable, with the possibility of fining them as well. He says the resolution stems from recent fights at Niagara Falls High School where parents went as far as to go after students.

”And this happens on the first day of school. Does that set the trend for what we're going through the rest of the year," Steed said.

Steed says he wants the measure to foster a better relationship between parents, teachers and students. He blames social media, in part for contributing to the problem.

"This is unacceptable. We've seen now where TikTok and social media has played an uptick in this violence," Steed added.

Violence, Holly and the district continues to address.

As for the resolution, she says she hopes an incident wouldn't rise to that level, but adds it could be helpful in engaging parents in the conversation

"I would see it as a deterrent probably mostly in the level of raising that awareness, right?" Dickinson said.

Now even though Legislator Steed did not win re-election earlier this month, he says the resolution is subject to a public hearing before a final vote from the legislature by the end of the year.