Va. Legislature Defines Bullying for Schools. Will it Help?

In Virginia, like many other jurisdictions, rules banning bullying have been on the books for quite some time. After some soul searching, however, the legislature decided that a critical element needed to stem bullying was missing:  

A clearer definition of bullying, so everyone would know what conduct was prohibited. 

A positive step to be sure, but standing alone, is - at least in my view - completely inadequate.

That being said, there was one aspect to the definition that caught my eye, and was very promising: their use of the term "target" instead of "victim." 

Here's why I like it:

The term "target"  more accurately and concretely conveys the reality of what is transpiring, and, unlike "victim," doesn't diminish the person on the receiving end of the bullying. As a corollary to that, I think this term appropriately and naturally broadens the scope of what constitutes bullying to where it really belongs.