Letter to the Editor (Independent News Herald)
To the Editor:
Bullying Prevention Month
According to the website www.pacer.org/bullying, one out of every five students report being bullied. In addition, 41% of students who reported being bullied at school indicated that they think the bullying would happen again.
Of those students who reported being bullied, 13% were made fun of, called names or insulted; 13% were the subject of rumors; 5% were pushed, shoved, tripped or spit on; and 5% were excluded from activities on purpose.
A slightly higher portion of female than male students report being bullied at school (24% vs. 17%).
Students report that bullying occurred in the following places: the hallway or stairwell at school (43%), inside the classroom (42%), in the cafeteria (27%), outside on school grounds (22%), online or by text (15%), in the bathroom or locker room (12%), and on the school bus (8%).
The reasons for being bullied reported most often by students include physical appearance, race/ethnicity, gender, disability, religion, and sexual orientation.
Forty-six percent of bullied students report notifying an adult at school about the incident.
Minnesota school districts are required to adopt, implement, review, and revise written policies to prevent and prohibit bullying. These policies must include requirements to notify the parent of the reported target and the parent of the actor engaged in the prohibited conduct. School districts must provide appropriate training for all school personnel to prevent, identify, and respond to prohibited conduct.
Statistics show that bullying prevention programs, like the ones that Hands of Hope Resource Center provide, decrease bullying by up to 25%.
If you would like more information, please visit the Pacer website at www.pacer.org/bullying, or feel free to contact the Hands of Hope Resource Center. Our business hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or give us a call at 320-732-2319 or our 24/7 hotline at 800-682-4547.
Kimberly Cook
Violence Prevention
Coordinator
Hands of Hope Resource Center
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