[August 12, 2011] Schools prepare for bigger role in fighting bullying problem Tweet Aug 12, 2011 (The Press of Atlantic City - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP -- The number of reported bullying incidents in New Jersey schools is expected to increase this year as officials deal with the problem more aggressively. A state law that takes effect Sept. 1 strengthens and expands the role and responsibilities of schools in dealing with bullying behavior. Attorneys and experts leading a workshop for school officials Thursday at Richard Stockton College said they expect increased vigilance to lead to more reported cases. "There may be people worried about being held liable if they don't report something," said Ray DiNovi, a school anti-bullying specialist with Rowan University and the Educational Information and Resource Center. "In the first year, if you think it might be HIB (harassment, intimidation or bullying), report it," said Michael Kaelber, an attorney with the New Jersey School Boards Association. Schools must name a school bullying coordinator and specialist to investigate all reports. There are timelines for reporting, investigating, and notifying parents. Incidents that happen outside school or online must be addressed if they disrupt or interfere with the operation of a school or the rights of students. Beth Finkelstein, an attorney with the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, which organized the workshop, said school officials must make sure they stay in touch with parents in a positive way. She said advocacy groups are telling parents to make sure they follow up on incidents with school officials. "I was at a meeting with parents where they were saying to hold the district's feet to the fire," she said. "But we don't want contentious relationships with parents." Finkelstein said it can be a challenge to separate the true HIB cases from the occasional horseplay or bad behavior. She said often the decision is based on how an incident is perceived by the victim, even if others saw it as a joke. "And with the language students use today, it can be difficult to tell the difference (between an insult and a joke)," she said. DiNovi said it also is possible that both parties can be found at fault, and both sets of parents contacted. Speakers said staff must model good behavior, and district policies also should address potential bullying by teachers or staff. Tough sports coaches were mentioned as a "gray area" in which behavior or language may be interpreted differently by different students. One glitch for school officials is the federal privacy law that prevents school officials from telling parents whether or how the alleged student bully was punished. That can lead to parents of the victim believing that nothing is being done because all they are being told is that the problem is being handled. "I would say to the parent: 'Would you want me discussing your child with someone else?'" Finkelstein said. "You just have to make sure they understand the school policy on bullying and that it is being followed." Local school officials said they plan to make parents aware of the new policy early in the school year. Weymouth Township Superintendent Donna Van Horn plans to discuss it during Back to School night. She said in her small, one-school district, it is not easy to permanently separate two children who do not get along. "There is really nothing in the law that we are not already doing," Van Horn said. "But we do have to make sure we do the new reporting properly and stay on top of all the time frames." The Atlantic City School District had a large group attend the workshop. Sovereign Avenue School Principal Medina Peyton said she plans to discuss the law at the first Parent Advisory Committee meeting and will use the school's Parent Center to meet with parents in small groups. The school is very multicultural, she said, and there are issues of cultural differences being misinterpreted and students being labeled for how they look or dress. "Our school motto is to be respectful, responsible, and ready," she said. She has already experienced how cyberbullying can affect students even outside school. She said last year there was a fight after school, and when she investigated, she discovered one of the students had posted on the Internet a plan to fight the other student. Contact Diane D'Amico: 609-272-7241 [email protected] To see more of The Press of Atlantic City, go to http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/. Copyright (c) 2011, The Press of Atlantic City, Pleasantville, N.J. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]