Inconsistencies in Bullying Data

Bullying, according to state law, is any electronic, written, verbal or physical act directed at another student that is “severe, persistent or pervasive” and interferes with a students’ education, creates a threatening environment or is substantially disruptive to the school setting.  A great deal of attention has been paid to bullying in recent years and it seems as though almost every school district has some kind of ‘anti-bullying’ campaign or policy in place. In PA the state releases a “Safe Schools” report each year which lists the number of documented incidents of bullying (and other disciplinary infractions) within each school district. But what does this data really tell us? ....and is it accurate?

Angie Mason, an Education Reporter for the York Daily Record points out that inconsistencies in reporting ‘bullying incidents’ make it very difficult to know just how much bullying is actually going on within schools.  Mason points out that since there is no exact protocol for ‘reporting’ an incident between two students, schools will often handle these situations differently. Some schools may choose to issue ‘warnings’ or refer students to guidance counselors first, while other schools will immediately issue ‘discipline referrals’ to students who are accused of bullying. If a discipline referral is not issued, a report of the bullying incident is never made, thus the inconsistency in the reported data.

Many school districts in York County have reported ‘zero bullying incidents’ at least once in the past five years. Though we know, and school district officials admit, just because these incidents are not reported, does not mean they are not happening.  Unfortunately, the state looks at the data that is reported each year to determine where assistance and training opportunities should be made available throughout the state. If we do not report incidents when they are occurring, teachers, parents and students could be missing out on some valuable ‘anti-bullying’ programs and resources.

  

One such program that several schools in York County have adopted recently is the Olweus Bullying Prevention program. The program includes regular classroom meetings where discussions happen about topics such as gossiping, ‘snitching’ and the internet or ‘cyber bullying’. Students and teachers alike both agree that the program is an excellent way for kids to talk about problems within the school and make connections with their peers. In addition to regular classroom meetings and chat sessions, schools also welcome guest speakers. John Halligan, whose son committed suicide in 2003 after enduring relentless bullying, was asked to speak to students at Dover Intermediate School.  Though we may never know of each and every incident of bullying that happens in our schools, I cannot think of ANY student that wouldn’t benefit from a program like this.

Read more on this topic in an article by the York Daily Record's Angie Mason.
York Daily Record- Bullying Inconsistencies