Ending Bullying

We hate to think about bullying. We all know it's out there, we are all frustrated by it and we all share a sense of powerlessness. As we look ahead to the election and beyond, we have identified a number of areas that are critical to the success of Gwinnett students – budget, parent participation, class size to name a few. But, one of the biggest threats to a successful education is bullying. It affects 15 million students a year and I hear about it from families and teachers alike all the time.

It's time to take that power back. We know the district faces budget limitations. Parents can't fix everything, but we can pitch in to make sure that all children feel safe. Gwinnett County is blessed with many skilled and dedicated teachers facing changing economic challenges and increasing class size. Teachers deserve our help. We need active parent and community school council members who make school safety a priority. We need PTA groups to work with schools to implement anti-bullying programs in schools. If we work together we can instill in our children the courage to stand up for each other rather than gang up on each other.

In Gwinnett County alone, incidents of bullying are on the rise, as reported by the Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services. In fact since Georgia's anti bullying legislation passed the bullying incidents in our schools have more than tripled.

There is truly an uneven playing field when it comes to issues like bullying and safe schools. When extreme cases of bullying do bubble up to the surface, courts are unlikely to do more than slap a school district on the hand as long as there was reasonable action. Bullying does not actually have to be resolved, reasonable attempts are sufficient. But sufficient for whom? That is the real question.

Triage

As we said last month when we discussed parent advocacy, we all, as parents need to stay engaged and involved in our children's education from kindergarten through high school. If you suspect your child is a victim (or an aggressor) experts say it is important to intervene early rather than late. It's natural to feel conflicted about how to respond. Part of growing up is learning how to interact with others, but victimization can be devastating to your child's self esteem and academic record. Speak to adults closest to your child and learn school policy and available options. Document your experience and work together to establish a plan that makes sense to you. The National Bullying Prevention Center website is an excellent reference for exactly how to proceed once you have identified the problem.

Game-Changer

It's fine to talk about having a plan to eliminate a bullying problem once it starts, but even more powerful is to change the culture in which bullying is allowed to thrive and grow. This year, a much-acclaimed film, Bully, was released to do just that. This troubling and inspiring documentary lays out the risks and consequences of bullying and serves as a great way to start a global conversation. I have been fortunate to be able to bring this movie to Gwinnett County for a one-day screening August 19th. Following the film, we will have a panel discussion led by award-winning journalist Aileen Dodd and David Long, a parent featured in the film. I hope you will join me to watch this movie and take advantage of this chance to change the lives of kids in our school system.