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Commission recommends strengthening state law to protect children from bullies

There isn't a moment to lose

School harassment, intimidation and bullying is a common and serious national problem as well as one that is prevalent in other nations. In the United States, more than 160,000 school children avoid school each day, because they fear being bullied.

What is known from the research literature is that harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB) can result in low self-esteem, anxiety, depression and psychotic symptoms, poor academic performance in victims, as well as an increase in the illegal use of weapons and gang recruitment in schools. Most alarming of these harmful outcomes, is the increased risk of suicide among victims,.

In short, HIB can prove deadly.

The New Jersey Commission on Bullying in Schools today recommended strengthening New Jersey's laws and policies and improving school environments to stop bullying in schools.

The Commission also said in its report that more training and public awareness is needed to keep all children safe from the widespread and harmful effects of bullying.

"New Jersey is a state that takes bullying seriously and has made sincere efforts to address the problem," said Commission Chairman Dr. Stuart Green, a clinical educator at Overlook Hospital and founder of the NJ Coalition for Bullying Awareness and Prevention. "However, bullied and vulnerable children need even stronger support and protection. The recommendations in this report provide some strong steps that can be taken to protect our students from harassment, intimidation and bullying. We can and must do more."

"The issue is not just bullying," added Commission Member Pat Wright, superintendent of the Spring Lake School District and principal of the H.W. Mountz School. "Bullying is only effectively addressed when it is seen as part of the overall school climate. The Commission's report highlights the necessity to provide schools with the training, tools and resources they need to create positive learning environments for both students and adults."

The 14-member commission, appointed by Governor Jon Corzine, was created by the Legislature to study and recommend ways to strengthen New Jersey's approach to the problem of bullying in schools. Its members include people with backgrounds in civil rights, education, administration, health services, law, community relations and public policy.

Key recommendations include:

• Amend New Jersey's anti-bullying law to strengthen the anti-retaliation provisions and provide legal representation to educators who properly report incidents of bullying;
• Protect students from "cyber" and other bullying that occurs off school grounds by changing state law to give school officials the authority to act when they know such bullying is occurring;
• Equip each school with a "school climate team" to be trained on best practices in dealing with bullying, with the goal of creating school environments that discourage this behavior;
• Establish regional technical assistance centers to provide cutting-edge training, technical assistance and resources to schools, educators and parents;
• Increase training on bullying to educators, administrators, public safety personnel, health professionals and others, and develop an on-line tutorial on addressing school bullying;
• Publish written guidance to parents and students about the processes and procedures available to investigate and prosecute violations of the Anti-Bullying Law and enhance the administrative procedures available under the law; and
• Create a school bullying fund to allow the Department of Education to seek public and private moneys and grants to address school bullying.

A U.S. Department of Education study found that 71 percent of youth involved in school shootings "felt bullied" or "persecuted"and another study found that "bully-victims" — youth who are both bully and victim — were more likely than others to say it was "not wrong" to take a gun to school.

"Extensive research clearly demonstrates that bullying is a problem that can affect all our children," Green said. "To keep all children safe, we must swiftly address any incidents of bullying and work to create schools where bullying is not an option."

The report is based on a review of research and testimony taken at several public hearings, which drew hundreds of attendees and volumes of testimony. Nearly all those who testified said bullying is a problem in schools and should be addressed through more effective training, interventions, changes in school environments and reforms of laws and regulations.

Green urged the Legislature and Gov-Elect Chris Christie to once again take up this issue to further strengthen New Jersey's policies and practices so that all children are safe in school

— ANDY LAGOMARSINO, NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM