A plain-English guide to North Carolina’s bullying and cyberbullying law, written for school counselors and other school staff. Start with the summary, then open any section below for the legal details.
Bottom line for counselors: North Carolina requires every school district to have a written bullying policy. The law covers cyberbullying, including off-campus behavior that affects school. Follow your district's reporting and investigation steps and keep careful notes.
North Carolina's bullying law includes 11 of 14 key elements, which Lantern rates strong. Cyberbullying can also be a crime under North Carolina law. State law lets schools discipline students for cyberbullying. School phones: statewide ban (HB 959, July 1, 2025). North Carolina also has an online-safety law for minors: Pornography Age Verification Enforcement Act (PAVE Act), HB8 / SL 2023-132, North Carolina General Statutes Section 66-500.
Sources last checked: StopBullying.gov summary reviewed May 11, 2026 · school phone rules checked November 11, 2026 · online-safety tracker updated May 16, 2024.
Lantern · State profile
Strong state protections · 11 of 14 key elements
- Covers cyberbullying Yes
- Reaches off-campus behavior Yes
- District policy required Yes
- Reporting & investigation rules Yes
- Staff training Yes
- Support for students involved No
- School phone rules Statewide phone restriction
- Online safety laws for minors 1 on the books
What this means for counselors
- Your district is required to have a written bullying policy. Find it, and learn who in your building receives reports.
- State law sets expectations for reporting and investigating bullying. Follow your district's steps and timelines, and keep careful notes.
- Cyberbullying that happens off campus can be addressed when it affects school. Record how the online behavior reached or disrupted school.
- Staff training is part of state law. Ask when training happens and make sure it covers cyberbullying and social media.
- Prevention education is expected. Classroom lessons on digital citizenship and online empathy fit here.
- The law names protected groups. Bullying based on these characteristics may also be a civil rights issue for your school.
- State law does not spell out a role for parents, so building partnerships with families is up to your school.
- Your state limits student phone use at school. Know your school's phone rules so responses to online incidents are consistent.
- Your state has laws on minors' online safety. They mostly regulate tech companies, but they are useful context when you talk with families.
What North Carolina’s bullying law includes
- Bans bullying outright: included
The law clearly states that bullying is not allowed. - Defines bullying: included
The law spells out what counts as bullying. - Says where the rules apply: included
The law describes where the rules apply, such as school grounds, buses, events, or online. - Names protected groups: included
The law lists characteristics, such as race or disability, that bullying often targets. - Districts must have a policy: included
Every school district has to adopt a written bullying policy. - Reporting and investigation rules: included
The law sets out how bullying is reported and investigated. - Consequences for bullying: included
The law describes consequences for students who bully. - Policy shared with families: included
Districts have to tell students, staff, and families about the policy. - Support for students involved: not included
The law calls for protection or support, such as counseling, for students who are involved. - Policies reviewed and updated: not included
District policies have to be reviewed and kept up to date. - Prevention education: included
The law requires or encourages bullying prevention lessons or programs. - Staff training: included
The law requires or encourages training for teachers and other staff. - Parent involvement: not included
The law involves parents in preventing or responding to bullying.
Questions and answers about the law
Do North Carolina anti-bullying laws and regulations cover cyberbullying that occurs off-campus?
Yes. North Carolina anti-bullying laws cover off-campus conduct by imposing criminal sanctions for cyberbullying.
What are the policy requirements for schools to prevent and respond to bullying behavior?
North Carolina school districts must adopt a policy prohibiting bullying or harassing behavior. School district policies must contain key policy and procedural elements, including, but not limited to:
- Statements prohibiting bullying or harassing behavior;
- Definitions of bullying or harassing behavior that are no less inclusive than the definition in state law;
- Descriptions of the types of behavior expected for each student and school employee;
- Disciplinary consequences and remedial actions for a person who commits an act of bullying or harassment;
- Procedures for reporting and investigations, including designation of the principal or a designee as the person responsible for the investigation;
- Statements prohibiting reprisal or retaliation against anyone who reports an act of bullying or harassment, and consequences for reprisal or retaliation; and
- Statements regarding how the policy will be publicized within the district.
Do North Carolina anti-bullying laws and regulations include protections for specific groups?
Yes. North Carolina anti-bullying laws prohibit bullying or harassing behavior that includes, but is not limited to, acts reasonably perceived as being motivated by any actual or perceived differentiating characteristic (see Article 29C § 115C‑407.15. (a)(2)).
North Carolina schools that receive federal funding are required by federal law to address discrimination based on certain personal characteristics. Find out when bullying may be a civil rights violation.
Do North Carolina anti-bullying laws and regulations encourage or require districts to implement bullying prevention programs or strategies?
Yes. North Carolina school districts must develop and implement methods and strategies for promoting school environments that are free of bullying or harassing behavior.
Do North Carolina anti-bullying laws and regulations encourage or require districts to train teachers and other school staff on how to respond to bullying incidents?
Yes. North Carolina school districts must incorporate information regarding the local policy against bullying or harassing behavior into each school’s employee training program and must provide training on the local policy to school employees and volunteers who have significant contact with students to the extent that funds are appropriated for these purposes.
Do North Carolina anti-bullying laws and regulations encourage or require districts to provide safeguards or mental health supports for students involved with bullying?
No. North Carolina anti-bullying laws do not require districts to provide safeguards or mental health supports for students involved with bullying.
Do North Carolina anti-bullying laws and regulations involve parents in efforts to address bullying behavior?
No. North Carolina anti-bullying laws do not create expectations for parent involvement in addressing bullying.
Answers from StopBullying.gov, last reviewed May 11, 2026.
School phone and device rules
Statewide ban. Most recent statewide action: HB 959, July 1, 2025.
Source: Ballotpedia, checked November 11, 2026.
Online safety and social media laws for minors
These laws mostly place duties on apps, platforms, and websites, such as age checks, parental consent, or limits on addictive feeds. Several have been challenged in court.
- Pornography Age Verification Enforcement Act (PAVE Act), HB8 / SL 2023-132, North Carolina General Statutes Section 66-500
In effect: January 1, 2024
Source: Orrick Online Safety Law Tracker, updated May 16, 2024.
Legal citations, explained (9)
Each entry shows what the law or rule is about first, then its official name with abbreviations spelled out.
- Hazing; definition and punishment Law passed by the legislature North Carolina General Statute Section 14-35 Read the text of North Carolina General Statute Section 14-35
- Cyber-bullying; penalty Law passed by the legislature North Carolina General Statute Section 14-458.1 Read the text of North Carolina General Statute Section 14-458.1
- Cyber-bullying of school employee by student; penalty Law passed by the legislature North Carolina General Statute Section 14-458.2 Read the text of North Carolina General Statute Section 14-458.2
- Board of directors; powers and duties Law passed by the legislature North Carolina General Statute Section 115C-238.66 Read the text of North Carolina General Statute Section 115C-238.66
- Assignment of students convicted of cyber-bullying Law passed by the legislature North Carolina General Statute Section 115C-366.4 Read the text of North Carolina General Statute Section 115C-366.4
- Bullying and harassing behavior Law passed by the legislature North Carolina General Statute Section 115C-407.15 Read the text of North Carolina General Statute Section 115C-407.15
- Policy against bullying and harassing behavior Law passed by the legislature North Carolina General Statute Section 115C-407.16 Read the text of North Carolina General Statute Section 115C-407.16
- Prevention of school violence Law passed by the legislature North Carolina General Statute Section 115C-407.17 Read the text of North Carolina General Statute Section 115C-407.17
- Construction of this article Law passed by the legislature North Carolina General Statute Section 115C-407.18 Read the text of North Carolina General Statute Section 115C-407.18
Official North Carolina resources
Educational information, not legal advice. Laws change, so confirm with your district and state education department.
Find a school district in North Carolina
Search by ZIP code, select a district on the map, or look one up by name. Each district links to a search for its own bullying policy, since district rules can go further than state law.
← Back to Clear Lines, the national atlas · How this map was built
Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with credit, under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC 4.0 licence.