Bullying doesn’t happen just in the classroom anymore. It’s not restricted to the lunchroom, the soccer field, the library, the hallways and on the school bus.
Today, bullying knows no bounds and continues to wreak havoc on the Internet by way of instant messaging, Facebook and other social media sites.
Earlier this year, Gov. Christie amended the state’s harassment, intimidation and bullying law, extending its reach to incidents both on and off school grounds.
Now, all reported complaints from students, parents or staff must be investigated.
Cherry Hill School District Director of Security Michael Nuzzo said the new HIB policies have led to an increase in reported incidents of violence, vandalism and substance abuse across the district, but attributes the increase to problems that originate outside of school.
The district released its annual Violence and Vandalism report at last month’s board of education meeting. There were 116 reported incidents during the 2010–2011 school year, compared to 97 the previous year, a 20 percent increase.
“Anytime we see an increase, it’s always a concern,” Nuzzo said. “But (because of HIB) there is an increase in those incidents being reported.”
The district reported 62 incidences of violence during the 2010–2011 school year, including 24 incidents categorized as harassment/intimidation/bullying, 19 categorized as simple assault, 15 fights, one sex offense and three threats. The district reports that the single sex offense involved inappropriate touching.
During the 2009–2010 school year, the district reported 50 incidents of violence. Nuzzo said the district expects to continue to see an increase in the harassment/intimidation/bullying category, due to the district’s obligation to investigate every complaint.
“The intent of the bill is to change the whole climate. If it’s reported, we have to follow up. Some do not meet the criteria, but the HIB law mandates that all be investigated. It has to be documented,” Nuzzo said. “The long-term intent is to cut down on incidents.”
The district noted no increase in reports of vandalism, with 26 being reported in each of the past two school years.
Weapons offenses increased from two to five in 2011. The district notes in its report that each of the incidents involved possession of pen knives. No weapons assaults were reported.
Substance abuse incidents rose from 19 in 2010 to 23. Eleven incidents involved students under the influence of marijuana, the district reported, with six students found to be in possession of the drug. The three alcohol-related incidents involved two students found to be in possession and one under the influence.
In the report, the district notes that no alcohol-related incidents occurred on school grounds.
The district also reported that the use of passive alcohol sensors at school events has served as an effective deterrent to alcohol use.
The district also continues to implement drug and alcohol education, character education, a drug screening program and student referrals to counseling staff to inform students about the dangers of abusing drugs and alcohol.
The district’s report also tracks incidents over a 10-year period. Nuzzo said the district is only required to report each year’s incidents, but said the 10-year trend is helpful in identifying areas of need.
“It’s a pretty credible reporting system. (If we didn’t do it), it would be a injustice to students and the school community,” Nuzzo said.
Nuzzo said the district is working to reduce the number of incidents by enacting the Week of Respect and School Violence Awareness Week in each of the district’s 19 schools, among other initiatives aimed at increasing school safety.
The Cherry Hill Police Department, he said, is also active in educating students about the dangers of bullying, violence, drugs and alcohol. Nuzzo said new HIB policies won’t reduce the number of incidents overnight, but hopes the law will ultimately increase school safety.
“As part of our ongoing commitment to provide a safe learning environment for our students and staff, the district will be relentless in its efforts to implement school security measures that focus on prevention,” Nuzzo said.
