Chasing the Bullies Away

IN APRIL, Colorado news sources recognized the sixth anniversary of the Columbine High School shootings that left 15 dead and sounded a wake-up call that struck fear in the hearts of parents who had thought that affluent, suburban schools were safe places. The incident engraved pictures in everyone's mind of typical-looking kids doing horrendous, unspeakable things. It caused many in the community to ask "why" and drove a few former students, who had never before divulged their personal experiences, to write letters to the editor saying that they understood how being bullied in school could push one to the breaking point. In its 2003 report, School Survey on Crime and Safety, the National Center on Education Statistics (NCES) found that, during the 1999-2000 school year, 29% of schools reported having more difficulty with student bullying than with any other single discipline problem. A similar 2004 NCES report, Indicators of School Crime and Safety, found that, in 2003, students' grade levels were inversely related to the likelihood that they would be bullied, with 14% of sixth-graders, 7% of ninth-graders, and 2% of 12th-graders reporting being bullied at school. Overall, 7% of students between the ages of 12 and 18 reported that they had been bullied at school in the last six months, up from 5% in 1999. In 2002, a U.S. Secret Service and Department of Education analysis of school shootings, The Final Report: Findings of the Safe School Initiative: Implications for the Prevention of School Attacks in the United States, found that many perpetrators of school violence reported being bullied, persecuted, or injured by others prior to the attack. Contrary to popular belief, research indicates that bullies frequently have very high self-esteem, while their victims tend to have lower self- esteem, be physically weaker than their tormentors, and lack social self-defense skills. Although bullying is frequently thought of as a male activity, consisting of such overt acts as physical intimidation or the more common verbal abuse or threats, a recently recognized form of bullying that is more commonly practiced by girls is relational aggression. This often takes the form of organized shunning, whispering, spreading negative rumors, and mocking targeted students. Though it doesn't leave physical scars, this form of bullying can cause its victims to suffer lasting psychological damage. States Confront the Problem Policy analyst Jennifer Dounay of the Education Commission of the States (ECS) summarized states' efforts to address bullying in an April 2005 ECS StateNote, "State Anti-bullying Statutes. "1 According to Dounay, "heightening this attention is the growing body of research on 1) the prevalence of bullying in K-12 schools, 2) the likelihood of school bullies to develop more serious socio-emotional problems with the passage of time, and 3) the impact of bullying on its victims and school climate in general. " Seventeen states and Guam, reports Dounay, have enacted laws aimed at reducing or eliminating bullying in schools. Definitions Three states -- Arkansas, New Jersey, and Oregon -- require districts to establish a definition of "bullying," notes Dounay. In 11 states, the term is defined by statute. For example, in Colorado, "bullying" is defined as "any written or verbal expression, or physical act or gesture, or a pattern thereof, that is intended to cause distress upon one or more students. " Some state policies combine the use of the terms harassment, intimidation, and bullying. State-level Support According to Dounay, a handful of state legislatures have required the state board or department of education to facilitate anti-bullying efforts in schools. In Arkansas, the state board must review each district's anti-bullying policies and may recommend changes or improvements. Rhode Island's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, New Jersey's state superintendent, and West Virginia's state board are each required to develop a model policy to guide districts in approving their own policies and programs. …