Beginning Jan. 1, South Carolina school districts will be required to more closely monitor bullying and hold bullies accountable. Districts must define bullying and identify procedures to track and punish students who mistreat other young people.

The law certainly is necessary at a time when some schools seem more dangerous than ever before. The safety of students should be the No. 1 priority for schools.

The law defines bullying as words or gestures that actually hurt or threaten to hurt a student -- physically or emotionally -- or damage a student's property, according to a recent Associated Press story. State lawmakers say the law also covers behavior not traditionally included in discipline policies. For instance, schools will have to track incidents of intimidation in which one student inflicts emotional pain on another.

In addition, the law covers cyberbullying -- electronic harassment through computers or cell phones. Bullying can also involve insulting or demeaning behavior toward other students.

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It's true that school districts sometimes go overboard in creating well-meaning "zero tolerance" guidelines when they separate rules from adult judgment. Punishment should be meted out fairly and rationally with a concern that some students may try to falsely implicate fellow students.

Punishment for students who violate rules can range from warnings to expulsion. A primary concern among those pushing for the law was that students who get bullied may lash out violently themselves. They cite the 1999 school shooting at Columbine High School as an example.