Stop bullies’ devastation in all its many forms
Bullying in our schools is unacceptable behavior and it must cease. Its consequences are devastating. Bullying has been linked to student suicides in Massachusetts, Virginia and New Jersey. In California, a transgender student was murdered. Victim anorexia, low self-esteem, high anxiety and depression are also reported. Victims are fearful of attending school, and their academic achievement and social interactions decline.
In a speech at a Philadelphia school on Tuesday, President Obama made a plea that students not bully others but instead show kindness and respect for differences among their classmates.
The urgency to do something about this escalating problem was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, which recently convened a summit on school bullying. Secretary Arne Duncan noted the following statistics:
- In 2007, one out three students in middle and high schools reported that he or she had been bullied.
- One in nine high school students (2.8 million students) reported instances of being pushed, shoved, tripped or spit on. Another 1.5 million said they were threatened.
- Nine hundred thousand high school students reported being cyber-bullied in 2007.
Forty-five states have passed anti-bullying legislation. The definition of bullying in state laws varies considerably. Massachusetts law defines the term broadly. Paraphrased here, the law states bullying is a severe or repeated use by one or more students of a written, verbal or physical act or gesture, or any combination thereof, directed at another student that has the effect of: i) causing physical or emotional harm to the other student or damage to the other student’s property; ii) placing the other student in reasonable fear of harm to himself or of damage to his property; iii) creating a hostile environment at school for the other student; iv) infringing on the rights of the other student at school ; or v) materially and substantially disrupting the education process or orderly operation of a school. Other state statutes indicate the types of bullying: harassment, intimidation and threats.
New Jersey has been proactive in addressing school bullying, with enactment of an anti-bullying law in 2002. On Dec. 15, 2009, the New Jersey Commission on Bullying in the Schools issued its report to strengthen current law, “There Isn’t A Moment To Lose: Practices to Combat Bullying in New Jersey Schools.” The report includes a number of directives, including: 1) implementation of a bullying prevention program that fosters a positive school climate; 2) expanded training of school personnel to notice and respond to instances of school bullying; 3) improved reporting and data collection on bullying; 4) enforcement of discipline for offenders; 5) added protection of students from bullying, including cyber-bullying that occurs off school grounds; and 6) increased attention to at-risk groups that are more vulnerable to bullying victimization: students who are different in race, color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and disability.
Bullying prevention must be an integral part of school safety policy. The Grant School in Trenton and the John Witherspoon School in Princeton offered a workshop on gay and lesbian bashing. Superintendent Tom Smith of the Hopewell Valley Regional School District and Principal Tony Orsini of the Benjamin Franklin Middle School in Ridgewood have noted the increase in online cyber-bullying and the absence of clear guidelines about how to handle in-school and out-of-school offenses. They call for a shared responsibility between the schools and parents in the prevention and monitoring of cyber-bullying.
Arguably, school bullying is a reflection of bad adult behavior in our society. Daily depictions of verbal assaults in our body politic, the media and sports affect the behavior of our youth. The “bully pulpit” no longer provides an opportunity for civil discourse on an issue, but a chance to bullyrag others. Family members who do not model civil behavior may also contribute to bullying in our schools. There is no “bully gene.” Children learn to behave in ways they observe in others.
A top priority this school year should be to combat bullying in all its forms. There isn’t a moment to lose.
Stanley J. Vitello, Ph.D., J.D. is a professor of special education at Rutgers University, New Brunswick.
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