AG Coakley To Hold Anti-Bullying Hearing

In a Wednesday public hearing, Attorney General Martha Coakley begins looking into whether the state's nine-month-old anti-bullying law is adequate.

Coakley said she will use the hearing to gather information about what additional legal help school systems need to implement their new anti-bullying policies. She's also reviewing questions about parental liability in bullying.

The attorney general said she's looking for answers.

"What is going on in schools? What is the authority that schools have in law enforcement now? And is there behavior that we need to address that isn't currently addressed under Massachusetts law?"

Coakley said she will hear from police, parents and school administrators.

"We really do want to hear from people who are dealing with the problem daily, who have seen patterns of behavior and incidents that are clearly bullying, to see if they need additional tools," Coakley said.

Coakley said she wants to focus on cyber-bullying, because kids are using cell phones and computers more to communicate.