MO HB458

Expands the definition of bullying to include conduct that "substantially interferes with educational performance, opportunities, or benefits of any student" and adds a specific definition of "cyberbullying" as bullying through electronic devices including telephones, computers, and pagers

Requires district employees to report bullying not only when they have firsthand knowledge, but also when they have reasonable cause to suspect bullying or receive a report from a student

Mandates eight specific components in each district's antibullying policy, including procedures for reporting and investigating incidents, anti-retaliation protections, annual notice requirements, and staff training protocols

Directs school counselors and psychologists to educate bullying victims on coping techniques, including building self-worth, assertive self-defense skills, social skills development, and internal locus of control

Grants school districts jurisdiction to discipline students for cyberbullying originating off-campus if it was reasonably foreseeable the communication would reach campus or has sufficient nexus to the school, with graduated consequences ranging from counseling for first offenses to suspension or expulsion for serious incidents