| August 12, 2005 New policies mandated by law target school bullies By Mary Vandeveire , ARIZONA DAILY STAR Parents who still think bullying is just a part of growing up may want to reconsider as they send their children back to school. Public school districts across Tucson are starting the school year with tough new policies that slap bullies with punishments up to expulsion. The anti-bullying policies are mandated under a new state law that was passed in this year's legislative session and takes effect today. Bullying is already on the radar screen, said Nic Clement, superintendent of the Flowing Wells School District, but the new law requires schools to be consistent in how they handle it. "It's a serious issue that schools aren't going to ignore. Parents and students know it's not going to be 'boys will be boys.' That's what the law will do," Clement said. The law recognizes the harmful effects of bullying and the potential it has to lead to tragic events, such as school shootings. Almost three-quarters of the attackers in U.S. school shootings felt persecuted or bullied by others, according to a study by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Education. Students in a Teen Court class at Tucson's Mansfeld Middle School were a driving force in getting Arizona to pass an anti-bullying law. The students wrote an anti- bullying bill for a project and were credited by Rep. David Bradley, D-Tucson, for spurring the law. Arizona is one of six states that passed anti-bullying laws this year, joining 14 other states that adopted such laws in the last five years. Arizona's new law requires school districts to adopt policies that specifically prohibit bullying and intimidation on school grounds and school buses and at school-sponsored activities. The law puts several requirements on what these policies must include: — Providing students, staff members and parents a confidential way to report bullying. — A consistent way for reported incidents of bullying to be investigated. — Establishing a disciplinary plan for students deemed to be guilty of bullying. — A way to discipline students who make false accusations of bullying. There's a misperception that bullying is only wedgies and stuffing kids in lockers, said Ben Langworthy, a junior at Tucson High Magnet School who was in the Teen Court class. Attitudes that kids should take the bullying in fun perpetuate the harassment, he said. "The bullies think they're having fun, and the kid who's getting bullied doesn't mind it, or if he does, that's his problem." Name-calling is a big part of bullying, and kids who are considered different often are the targets, said Alan Storm, assistant superintendent of Sunnyside Unified School District. Saleh Saleh, 13, was called names like Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden by other students at his school, said his mother, Abeer Saleh. Saleh said he thinks he wouldn't have so many problems if he changed his name. "I don't want my last name to be the same as my first name. It's weird," Saleh said. Disciplinary actions against bullying can run from a discussion with the student all the way up to expulsion, depending on the school and the district, said Suzi Shoemaker Lowery, Tucson Unified School District interim resource manager, who helped write TUSD's anti-bullying policy. The record of disciplinary action may follow a student from grade to grade and even outside the district. For example, the Sunnyside district keeps disciplinary actions on the student's record from grade to grade, said district spokeswoman Monique Soria. If the student moves outside the district and a new school requests records, the disciplinary action will be on the records, Soria said. TUSD's anti-bullying program includes ideas to help parents prevent their child from being a bully. The program also suggests ways parents can help a child deal with bullies, such as getting involved at their child's school. When Ann Malone's admittedly "very outgoing and outspoken" 10-year-old son Quinn was called names by kids at his school in the Vail district earlier this year, he tried answering back, Ann Malone said. But that seemed to fuel the taunting. After the name-calling escalated into a rock-throwing incident, Malone went to the school principal and asked what could be done to help bullied children. Malone got a receptive ear, and parents and the school staff created a bullying prevention program that is being used for the first time this school year. "Sometimes the names were just really mean," Quinn said. "I just couldn't really handle it. I'm just thinking that they should know better." |