Teacher World

The Escambia County School District in Pensacola, Florida, is trying to live up to its motto: “making a positive difference.” And Superintendent Malcolm Thomas thinks he has found one way to do just that.

Thomas has become alarmed over the increase in teen suicides in the last few years, especially those that seem to be related to bullying. “I do think it is a growing concern among parents and people in the community, and lots of times the person being bullied – they’re a little intimidated by going to someone in authority and reporting,” Thomas said.

In order to make that process is a little easier for students, a website has been developed which students can access online. In a relatively short amount of time, they can report bullying or harassment incidents, even if they choose to report these incidents anonymously. Thomas showed Fox 10 News how easy it is; you simply click on the website, click the problem tab, enter your school or area, describe what occurred, and click submit. The reports go to the administrator for that particular student’s school.

Thomas was quick to say that the entries guarantee that an investigation will take place, but the validity of the report must be proven before any action would be taken. “We’re not going to go out on a witch hunt just because someone gave us an anonymous tip. We’re going to have to be able to prove it,” Thomas said.

Thomas’s reasons for starting this website are clear; he never wants to hear of a teen suicide in his district due to bullying. “No one ever wants to be in that position. I certainly don’t want to be there in Escambia School District, to think that we could have prevented it if we’d just known,” Thomas said.

Bridgette Rich, who was interviewed by Fox 10 News said she could see where it could have benefits, but didn’t think many students would use it. But Teresa Barham said, “It should make them feel more comfortable being able to report any harassment they’re receiving, so I think it’s a great idea.”

Thomas feels that this website will have a positive effect on kids, especially those who face harassment and bullying. And he plans to have it up and running on the school’s website starting next fall.

So, let me start out and tell you what I think, then hopefully you will tell us what you think. First of all, I am confident that there will be many students who will use this website to report bullying incidents. And I am hopeful that those that are legitimately reported will be handled promptly and strictly.

But, here is my fear. Kids will be kids. Some students will use this website as a tool to get kids they don’t like in trouble, manufacturing stories that are not true, especially since reports can be anonymous. These false allegations, at the least, will slow the intended process of dealing with real situations of bullying down. At the worst, innocent people may get accused of things they haven’t done, or kids will begin to lose confidence in the website’s effectiveness to attack harassment and bullying.

In spite of my concerns, I think it is a positive plan for reporting and confronting bullying in schools, and I plan to keep my eye on the Escambia County School District next year to see whether Thomas’s plan is successful.

So, what do you think? Please take a few minutes and tell us your opinion.

Bullying, Teacher-World's Blog Bullying, Escambia County School District, harassment, reporting bullying, Superintendent Malcolm Thomas, teen suicide

Do you appreciate the ironic? Well, here is the tragically ironic follow-up of the Tyler Clementi blogs. It couldn’t have been scripted better in a movie than the way it played out in real life. Here goes!

The tragic news of Tyler Clementi’s apparent suicide came out on the same day that Rutgers University, the university he attended, launched “Project Civility”,  a campus-wide, two-year project “to teach the importance of civility, with special attention to the use and abuse of new technology”, as reported by The New York Times. After the initial event that spearheaded “Project Civility”, almost 100 demonstrators gathered at the site of the university president’s speech and chanted, “Civility without safety — over our queer bodies!”

In spite of the obvious irony of the timing of this event, clearly this university is attempting to be proactive and deal directly with a serious issue, and we should commend them for their efforts. The project, which “will involve panel discussions, lectures, workshops and other events to raise awareness about the importance of respect, compassion and courtesy in everyday interactions”, is a worthy venture which I hope will be widely attended. Additionally, workshops were scheduled for students and administrators on residential life on campus, and a panel discussion, “Uncivil Gadgets? Changing Technologies and Civil Behavior” was also in place. Timely, or what?

Now, as far as I see it, there are two ways to look at the timeliness or untimeliness of this campaign which followed so closely on the heels of Tyler Clementi’s death. The pessimists out there might consider this attempt on the university’s part to create a more civil climate on campus as a waste of time, especially in light of this recent tragedy. Their attitude would mirror many who say that bullying has always been a part of the fabric of our society, and no amount of discussing, debating, or developing policies to deal with bullying will be successful, so why try? There is within all of us a little voice that tells us that this may be so.

But, lucky for us, there are optimistic fighters out there who are unwilling to accept the inevitability of bullying. They struggle to force this issue into the limelight and attack it head-on because they refuse to accept the tragic ramifications of bullying which we have seen so much of in recent years. The administration and faculty of Rutgers University should be commended for being in this group. In the kickoff ceremonies for “Project Civility”, the university’s president, Richard L. McCormick boldly stated the following: “It is more clear than ever that we need strongly to reassert our call for civility and responsibility for each other.”

Hat’s off to you, Rutgers University, and to all those who, like you, refuse to believe that bullying and harassment are here to stay! Thank you, in spite of your own tragic losses this fall, for boldly making a stand and fighting for civility and respect. And may we all take a lesson from you, and launch our own bold campaigns in our own spheres of influence to rise up and refuse to accept bullying, in or out of the classroom!

Bullying, Teacher-World's Blog Bullying, harassment, Project Civility, Rutgers University, Tyler Clementi

My first follow-up of the Tyler Clementi blog posted this weekend deals with the two young people whose poor judgment and malicious bullying were indirectly responsible for this young man’s apparent suicide. If you recall, Dharun Ravi, Tyler’s roommate, was allegedly responsible for using the webcam on his computer to tape a private moment Tyler had with a man. Then, he and Molly Wei allegedly streamed this intimate video on the Internet for other students to see. So what has happened to these two Rutgers students and how have their precipitous actions affected their lives? That is the subject of this blog.

First, Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei, both residents of New Jersey, have each been charged with two counts of invasion of privacy for using a camera to view and then transmit live images of Tyler during this intimate encounter. They face the possibility of up to five years in prison which is the maximum sentence if found guilty. Additionally, Dharun faces two more counts of invasion of privacy for trying to send a similar live feed on the Internet the day before Tyler’s suicide on September 21.

The investigation is ongoing and could possibly involve additional charges. Some people are going so far is to call the death of Tyler Clementi a result of a hate crime. Steven Goldstein, chairman of Garden State Equality, a gay rights group, made the following statement about Ravi and Wei’s actions: “We are sickened that anyone in our society, such as the students allegedly responsible for making the surreptitious video, might consider destroying others’ lives as a sport,”

Molly Wei was released on her own recognizance, and Dharun Ravi was freed on bail. And what has happened to their lives since then? Apparently they both faced some major repercussions for their actions, to the extent that they were “shunned and vilified”. They also faced disciplinary action if they had stayed at Rutgers. Therefore, Ravi transferred to another school, and according to Molly’s lawyer, she quit out of fear for her own life. She is studying to take her SAT’s again in order to go back to school at some future time.

Now, here is the sad truth. These two people made a terrible decision meant to humiliate and publicly destroy another person. No one with an ounce of decency would treat another human being in such a devastatingly hateful manner. Whether this was a hate crime or not, it has certainly been about hate. Either they hated Tyler, hated what he was doing, or have no respect for other people’s privacy as long as they get a laugh. Are they really surprised that they are being “shunned and vilified”? Hate tends to beget hate. That old adage comes to mind that you reap what you sow. I surmise that it isn’t so funny to them now, and I would hazard a guess that if given the same opportunity now, their actions would be very different.

So, two more lives have forever been altered due to this tragic incident. The difference is that Tyler’s life is over, but Ravi and Wei’s futures still hang in the balance. I can only hope that they use this tragedy to grow, to take responsibility for their actions, and to learn from their terrible mistakes. Moving on, even if they do not go to prison, will not be easy for these two.

May this tragic event and it’s equally tragic repercussions send a strong message to our young people to stop using the Internet to bully and harass others.

Bullying, Teacher-World's Blog cyber bullying, Dharun Ravi, harassment, Molly Wei, Tyler Clementi

The rest of the letter which I have been reporting on from the Office of Civil Rights found on the Department of Education website is a rather stern warning to schools to address bullying directly and firmly. It clearly states that investigating and addressing known incidents of harassment is the responsibility of all schools, and addresses the need for well-publicized policies which would prohibit harassment.

The letter addresses the need to investigate and deal with all suspected incidents, not just ones reported by parents. “When responding to harassment, a school must take immediate and appropriate action to investigate or otherwise determine what occurred.  The specific steps in a school’s investigation will vary depending upon the nature of the allegations, the source of the complaint, the age of the student or students involved, the size and administrative structure of the school, and other factors. In all cases, however, the inquiry should be prompt, thorough, and impartial.” Interestingly, I caught a local news report regarding bullying and how our local schools measure up when it comes to handling the incidents that are occurring. What they found from the reports being sent to the state by districts regarding these incidents is that the stronger the bullying policy implemented in the school and the more consistently it is followed, the less cases of bullying there seem to be.

Now, you are probably thinking, “Duh!” Yes, it seems so obvious, but let’s explore the ramifications of this report more thoroughly. This report should tell us all that we can stop bullying if we make a concerted effort to do so. Some school districts are decreasing the occurrences through tougher policies, so every school district needs to do the same.

The letter, which I encourage you to read, lays out the proper procedures to follow to correctly deal with reported or known incidents. By the time I got to the end of this letter from OCR, I got the impression that we, who are in education, are being warned in no uncertain terms that we need to get it together where bullying is concerned. We have been warned now through the Ohio Civil Rights program and the Department of Education to take this seriously. If we choose to minimize the message, we will have only ourselves to blame if we are publically called on the carpet for allowing bullying to continue unchecked. And if that means a lawsuit, well, we’ve been warned! Bullying is the hot topic right now and rightfully so. So, readers beware and let’s crack down on harassment and bullying!

Bullying, Teacher-World's Blog Bullying, bullying policy, Department of Education, harassment, Ohio Civil Rights