Schools Discuss Anti-Bullying Efforts

COURT HOUSE – Parents need to be engaged with their children, involved with their online activities as well as their offline lives to stay atop of potential bullying and cyberbullying. At least that’s the consensus of several local school officials who talked about what their schools are doing to prevent bullying, especially in October, which marks Bullying Prevention Month.
Representatives from Cape Christian Academy, Ocean City and Wildwood schools also discussed ways for parents to recognize the signs that their child might be being bullied, and what to do about it.
“The best thing is for parents to be involved in what their child is doing online and offline,” said John Spriggs, administrator, Cape Christian Academy, of Court House. “Stay active and involved in their lives.”
It’s through strong engagement by parents and grandparents who are raising grandchildren that Wildwood School District Anti-bullying Coordinator Renee McGaffney says their anti-bullying programs and messages are making an impact. She especially credits the Positive Behavior Support In-School initiative with making a difference at the Glenwood Elementary School.
“We just had our kickoff Friday (Oct. 5) with activities for the students,” she added. “Throughout the day, they were rewarded for positive behavior and then could turn in their tickets for prizes.”
The positive reinforcement initiative is followed by teachers in kindergarten through fifth grades throughout the school year, and McGaffney credits it with the improvement in school atmosphere over the years. At the middle and high school levels, another program about making the right choices takes over.
“I think our efforts have been embraced by students,” she said. “Students stand up to let us know if something is wrong because it’s the right thing to do. We call them stand-uppers.
“Gone are the days when we considered some things as a rite of passage or that something was just a part of life,” she added. “We’ve strengthened our anti-bullying efforts over the years, and I think it’s helping.”
Cape Christian Academy is using a program new this year called “Dignity Revolution,” addressing bullying and building one’s character by understanding everyone has value.
“Generally, problems we saw 10 or 20 years ago are now seen at lower ages,” Spriggs said. “We tailor the messages to each grade level and share tools with our parents so they are engaged as well.”
With the state’s Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act, how bullying is defined, reported, investigated, monitored and trained to prevent it are clearly defined. The state Department of Education requires schools to annually report incidents of harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB).
Last year, McGaffney said the Wildwood schools reported an incident in the fourth and fifth grade, the first time at that level.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, kids in third through fifth grades are experiencing an increase in cyberbullying, in part likely due to the rapid advancement of mobile technology and children being given access to smartphones and social media apps at a younger age.
Neither Cape Christian Academy nor Ocean City schools have seen this, however.
At Cape Christian Academy, Spriggs said students in grades seven through 12 put their cell phones in a basket at the start of the school day. “Our students sign a code of conduct so they must abide by our rules,” he added. There “generally has been little pushback to the policy.”
Ocean City schools have specific Board of Education policies that outline cell phone use by students, according to Matthew Carey, district anti-bullying coordinator.
“Teachers use their professional judgment on how they are utilized in the classroom setting,” he added. “We support responsible cell phone use and teach it in our health and wellness curriculum. The district also uses the STOPit application for students grades seven through 12.”
The STOPit app instantly and anonymously connects people with those individuals who can resolve issues and equips administrators with anonymous two-way communication and a host of other tools to save time and conduct an effective, efficient investigation, according to its website.
Ocean City schools have seen their HIB numbers decline over the past couple of years, according to Carey, and most reports received involve words and actions combined.
Carey offered signs for parents to look for; a child may be being bullied if the child…
– Has few, if any friends, with whom he or she spends time
– Seems afraid of going to school, walking to and from school, riding the school bus or taking part in organized activities with peers (such as clubs)
– Takes a long, “illogical” route when walking to or from school
– Has lost interest in school work or suddenly begins to do poorly in school
– Appears sad, moody, teary or depressed when he or she comes home
– Complains frequently of headaches, stomach aches, or other physical ailments
– Has trouble sleeping or has frequent bad dreams
– Experiences a loss of appetite
– Appears anxious and suffers from low self-esteem.
“There are a lot of prevention resources out there for our students, parents, and faculty,” he said. “We simply state that as a district ‘we don’t do that in our schools’ and, when and if it does, we deal with it as per the HIB laws and guidelines.”
This means that once reported, the claim is investigated by the school, and, if necessary, the local police department is involved.
“The district closely monitors and investigates claims on and off school premises,” Carey explained. “If the incident affects the school environment, then the district gets involved. We also work with parents and local law enforcement when needed.”
Discussion about cyberbullying and bullying take place in both formal and informal settings on a daily basis at all the schools and is reinforced throughout the schools in the form of signage and other activities. Outside agencies, such as the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, are also invited to speak to students and parents about internet safety and what apps are available to monitor a child’s online activity.
In October, schools have also been focusing on a variety of activities that reinforce the ideals such as respect, integrity, honesty, and kindness. The first week in October has been designated as the ‘Week of Respect.’ During this week, schools are asked to teach about intimidation and harassment in order to make students more aware of the causes and effects of bullying.
Locally, students participated in a range of activities from wearing blue to stand up to bullying, to hearing about domestic violence and how to handle anger, to being trained in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
Another week during the month, ‘Red Ribbon Week,’ stressed alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs and violence awareness campaigns. ‘Red Ribbon’ Week has been observed in U.S. schools since 1985.
“You have to train students on what is acceptable and what is not,” Spriggs said, “and they have to know what to do about it.”
To contact Karen Knight, email kknight@cmcherald.com.