Lawmakers everywhere are proposing measures to prevent school bullying. The Colorado Legislature is considering a law that would create school dress codes and require teachers to report bullying incidents to higher-ups (Associated Press). And U.S. Senator Michael Bennet recently attended an antibullying conference at the White House (Colorado Independent).

Despite the attention, some simply aren’t getting the message, as 7News discovers in a disturbing report about how tiny thugs rule the roost at schools, enabled by teachers and an administration that blames victims. In one example, a girl was threatened by a bully in the bathroom using the metal end of a pencil to cut her chin. When administrators found out, they questioned if the victim had permission to be in the bathroom. Bullying expert Dr. Ben Leichtling says teachers and administrators have the power to set a stronger tone: “What we need are laws that not only define bullying, that not only require schools to have policies and programs about bullying, but have consequences for principals and administrators who do not take action.”