Support grows for anti-bullying laws
There are no anti-bullying laws on the books in New York, which is one of just a handful of states in the nation lacking such legislation, but some of the state’s public school districts aggressively tackle the issue as though there were.
Even before terms like “cyberbullying” became common, the West Hempstead Union Free School District was sending a very clear no-tolerance message to students, faculty, staff and parents. “Bullying here in West Hempstead is considered a form of harassment,” said schools Superintendent John Hogan. “[C]yberbullying falls into the same category. Bullying is bullying and we don’t tolerate it.”
Both West Hempstead and the Malverne Union Free School District have approached the subject proactively using their character education programs to instill in students values of civility and respect, and denounce anti-social behavior, particularly bullying, that has a wide-ranging affect on the entire school community.
While Hogan’s administration has seen little evidence of bullying within the district, in the instances where it has occurred, serious actions, including suspension, were taken to deal with the offending students. About two years ago, the district even revised its character education program to include bullying education and began utilizing a program known as Second Step, which focuses on bullying prevention.
In Malverne, positivity and proactive initiatives are key in preventing bullying. “We do take the entire spectrum of bullying and deal with it through our character education program in terms of kind and caring treatment,” said schools Superintendent Dr. James Hunderfund. “That is the guideline for all action and interaction within the school environment and even outside on the playgrounds, and in any way, shape or form children interact with each other.”
While these and other districts have developed anti-bullying programs, there is still a need for laws on the state level that deal with the issue, according to State Sen. Kemp Hannon (R-Garden City), who has proposed legislation that would prohibit bullying and cyberbullying in schools, and encourage districts to take more action.
Hannon’s bill would increase penalties for hazing and establish a hotline for children who are being bullied and feel they have no place else to turn. He noted that many nonprofit agencies on Long Island already offer interactive anti-bullying workshops, and the legislation would help direct those resources to schools.
One such organization is Child Abuse Prevention Services of Long Island, or CAPS. Executive Director Alane Fagin said the group hosts programs in about 200 Long Island schools each year. Workshops include Steer Clear of Bullies, Step Up and Speak Out and Relational Aggression, for female students. CAPS also offers several cyberbullying workshops.
“These programs are not assemblies,” Fagin stressed. “They’re given in classrooms. There’s a lot of interaction and critical thinking.”
Fagin said that school districts need to be empowered to deal with the issue. Any legislation, she said, should provide a definition of bullying and require school districts to implement an anti-bullying policy, including consequences for those who mistreat other students. An effective policy, Fagin explained, has to work from the top down. “There has to be a very clear message sent by administration,” she said, “that bullying will not be tolerated.”
Johanna Mathieson-Ellmer, director of safety education for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Long Island, said her organization has led programs at schools for children in pre-K through high school.
Mathieson-Ellmer said she would like to see statewide legislation passed that would help schools develop strong anti-bullying policies. Laws have failed before, however, she acknowledged. “This is nothing new,” she said. “I’ve been watching bills get to Albany and fall by the wayside.”
Hannon said that past legislation has failed because it tried to go beyond the powers of the state. “We can’t regulate the Internet,” he said. However, he said, the state can toughen its criminal statutes, maintain a hotline and match school districts with available resources.
Mathieson-Ellmer said that with or without anti-bullying laws, society needs to take this issue seriously. Family efforts should start at home, she said, where parents should monitor how their children use computers.
Fagin agreed, and said that when parents just sit down and talk to their children, it can have a big impact. “The civil behaviors begin at home,” she said, “and parents need to model them.”
According to Hogan, the West Hempstead school district is working with PTAs and other groups to spread knowledge and information about bullying to parents. It put its entire character education program online so that parents can “become aware of the issue as it now exists,” Hogan said, adding, “We hope that everybody’s taking advantage of that.”
In West Hempstead, the character education program helps children develop civil behavior. Through it, Hogan said, the district is trying to “emphasize for the students that there are ways in which we are to treat one another and that it really comes down to you treat others as you would want them to treat you: with dignity and respect.”
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