Senator wants to outlaw cyberbullying

ALBANY, N.Y. (WIVB) - New York Sen. Jeffrey Klein is pushing to add a criminal element to a cyber bullying bill just days before a vote on the measure.

The bill near final agreement between the Senate, Assembly and Gov. Andrew Cuomo focuses on defining cyber bullying, raising awareness and requiring schools to adopt policies to report threats, taunts and insults made over social media.

But Klein says a dual approach is needed. He says cyber bullying must be made a crime to effectively crack down on the rise in behavior that has been blamed for teen suicides.

The Bronx-Westchester Democrat is part of the Independent Democratic Conference, with influence in the Senate's Republican majority.

The Assembly's Democratic majority hasn't embraced criminalizing cyber bullying.

The session ends June 21.