State and local lawmakers have taken action to prevent bullying and protect children. Each jurisdiction—including all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories (state)—addresses bullying differently. Some have established laws, policies, and regulations. Others have developed model policies schools and local educational agencies (districts) can use as they develop their own local laws, policies, and regulations.

Most state laws, policies, and regulations require districts and schools to implement a bullying policy and procedures to investigate and respond to bullying when it occurs. A handful of states also require bullying prevention programs, inclusion of bullying prevention in health education standards, and teacher professional development. These state laws generally do not prescribe specific consequences for kids who engage in bullying behavior, and very few classify bullying as a criminal offense. Further, states may address bullying, cyberbullying, and related behaviors in a single law (statute) or in multiple laws (education code, criminal code). In some states, bullying laws are included in the sections of the criminal code that apply to juveniles.

Although no federal law directly addresses bullying, in some cases, bullying overlaps with discriminatory harassment when it is based on race, national origin, color, sex, age, disability, or religion. When bullying and harassment overlap, federally-funded schools (including colleges and universities) have an obligation to resolve the harassment. When the situation is not adequately resolved, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division may be able to help.

In Iowa, anti-bullying laws and policies are in place to protect children from bullying and harassment in schools. The state requires school districts to adopt anti-bullying policies, which must include procedures for reporting, investigating, and responding to incidents of bullying. Iowa's anti-bullying legislation covers various forms of bullying, including cyberbullying, and schools are tasked with implementing strategies to prevent and address such behavior. While the state law mandates the creation of policies and response procedures, it does not typically prescribe specific disciplinary actions for students who bully others, nor does it classify bullying as a criminal offense. However, when bullying intersects with discriminatory harassment based on protected characteristics such as race, sex, or disability, federal laws may come into play. In these cases, schools receiving federal funding are required to address the harassment, and federal agencies like the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights may intervene if the issue is not properly resolved. It's important to note that while Iowa's laws provide a framework for addressing bullying, the specifics can vary by local school district policies.