A new report “Violent and Disruptive Incidents and Bullying in New York Schools,” unveiled by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli states bullying and drug-related incidents statewide are on the rise, even exceeding pre-pandemic highs, while the rates for the number of serious violent and disruptive incidents remained near zero even after students returned to in-school instruction, and have stayed low.
This depicts a prominent disconnect, revealing the system may risk measuring safety based on definitions rather than students’ real-time experiences.
The comptroller’s analysis of seven years of School Safety and Educational Climate data from the State Education Department states the most frequently reported school safety incident is bullying.
Almost 30,000 bullying incidents were reported, meaning 12.4 incidents per 1,000 pupils in the 2023-24 school year.
“We appreciate the comprehensive report issued by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and the seriousness with which his office is addressing bullying and related incidents in school districts statewide,” East Rockaway Superintendent James DeTommaso said in a statement.
He described that the report numbers accurately reflect the incidents brought forward in East Rockaway. Historically, even with the updated definition, the number of reported cases has remained relatively low.
Cyber bullying remains low in data, though it is more difficult to locate due to the anonymity of off-campus media platforms. The report actually acknowledges that many of these incidents likely go unreported. The question is not whether bullying occurs, but whether schools are accurately aware of those incidents.
Similarly, for drug-related incidents, remote learning helped the statistic drop, though secondary schools have risen above pre-Covid levels. Statewide rates went up from 4.2 to 6.5 incidents per 1,000 students in 2023-24, compared to 2017-18.
While these troubling trends are rising, reports of extremely violent and disruptive incidents — such as assault, sexual offenses, and weapons possession — have plummeted. The implication is that the culture hasn’t dramatically changed, but that the new reporting definitions implemented in 2021-22 have limited potential incident reports.
“Looking at Lynbrook across all its schools for serious incidents — assault, sexual offence, and weapons possession — the numbers do not differ much from pre-Covid years, even after the definition changed in 2021-22,” Lynbrook Superintendent Paul Lynch said in a statement.
The new qualifications include that incidents must be due to an offender that is at least 10 years old, has to meet felony criteria, and has been presented to law enforcement.
The data may be technically accurate by state rules, but the results may be misleading if taken at face value, assuming no other incidents have occurred, as they were not reported.
“As the safety and well-being of our students remain our highest priority, our district does not condone bullying or harmful conduct of any kind,” DeTommaso stated. “We remain committed to providing a safe, inclusive and respectful learning environment for our students.”
Limited cell phone use during the school day is a step toward protecting students, reducing in-school distractions and platforms for conflict. Schools must pay close attention to student life in order to address these real problems.
Lynch also said families have access to mental health services through the district’s investment in the Northwell School Mental Health Partnership and it’s Behavioral Health Centers.
“The Lynbrook School District is committed to maintaining safe, inclusive and respectful schools where bullying, harassment and discrimination are not tolerated.” Lynch stated. “We provide a comprehensive network of in-house supports, including school social workers, school psychologists and school guidance counselors, to promote students’ academic, social-emotional and behavioral well being.”
