Tennessee teens could lose driver's licenses as punishment for bullying

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Tennessee students who bully their classmates – both in school or online – could lose their driving privileges as punishment thanks to a new law that took effect this week.

The new statute is an addition to last year’s law that made bullying and cyber bullying a crime. It passed 85-10 in the Tennessee Legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support. 

Tennessee’s anti-bullying laws

The backstory:

Rep. Lowell Russell said he introduced the original anti-bullying bill in 2024 after he realized there were no laws to address bullying and cyber bullying. His original law in 2024 made bullying a "delinquent act" for students under 18 and a class A misdemeanor for students 18 and older. 

FILE - Symbolic photo on the topic of cyberbullying among children. A boy sits next to his school bag with a smartphone in his hand and hides his head. (Photo Illustration by Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images)

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This year, Russell said he added a bill to take driving privileges away from students who have been found guilty of bullying their classmates. They’ll be subject to additional penalties if they’re caught driving with a suspended license, but there are exceptions for driving to school, work and church.

What they're saying:

"Bullying can cause long term harm that results in mental health problems later in a person’s life," Russell told LiveNow from FOX.  "Most acts of violence and suicides are noted as the result of being bullied.  I simply got tired of nothing being done to stop bullying.  

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"I wrote the anti-bullying bill and was fortunate to have a great group of colleagues that supported it, which resulted in overwhelming success getting it passed into law," he continued. 

Dig deeper:

Russell said he believes this is the only law of its kind in the nation. 

Bullying is all too common, statistics say

By the numbers:

According to studies from the the National Center for Education Statistics, the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every five students between 12 and 18 years old has experienced bullying at some point. 

Dig deeper:

Fewer than half of those students report it when they're being bullied, and students also said being bullied changed how other students treated them. 

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Cyberbullying has become an even bigger concern as children spend more and more time on social media. According to a study published in JAMA, teens who are cyberbullied have a 50% higher risk of suicidal thoughts than those who haven’t experienced cyberbullying. 

What you can do:

Parents can help to keep their children and other children safe by making sure kids know about bullying and how serious it is. 

California PTA offered the following tips for parents to help prevent bullying: 

• Talk with and listen to your children every day. 
• Spend time at school.
• Set a good example. 
• Create healthy anti-bullying habits. 
• Make sure your child understands that bullying is not okay. 

If you or a loved one is feeling distressed, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Line for free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

CLICK HERE for the warning signs and risk factors of suicide and CLICK HERE for more on the 988 Lifeline.