Research Identifies the Cost of Bullying

La Feria Business Community Joins La Feria ISD in Recognizing Blue Shirt Day for Bullying Prevention

Special to La Feria News

Every 7 minutes, a child in the U.S. will be bullied. The child may be the son or daughter of someone you know or, worse, it may be your own. Unfortunately, because of lack of awareness, only four in 100 adults will intervene. And only 11 percent of the child’s peers might do the same, because they may see it as an everyday occurrence. The rest of the people, 85% who witness the incident of some sort of bullying will do nothing because they feel this too will past.

According to the National Education Association, more than 160,000 children miss school every day out of fear of being bullied. Bullying takes many forms, ranging from the seemingly innocuous name-calling to the more harmful cyberbullying to severe physical violence. It happens everywhere, at all times to the most vulnerable of kids.

Research indicates that the cost of involvement in bullying to individuals, families, school and society is high, it further states that, children who bully or are victims of bullying, generates life-long cost because they become involved in multiple systems such as mental health, juvenile systems, special education and social services. A CDC reports that current research findings indicate that being involved in bullying in any way is one of several risk factors that appear to increase the risk of suicide among youth. Bullying or being the victim of bullying has a high price for all. Reports indicate that knowledge is really the most helpful approach, if it creates action toward a positive change. Currently there is no Federal anti-bullying law, however when bullying is also harassment, it does break Federal law.

In Texas, who rates number sixth nationally by wallethub.com, in its proactive, the acts of bullying and cyberbullying are covered under several different laws. While some of these laws apply only to students and lead only to school-related punishment, others apply to everyone within the state and can result in criminal penalties. Texas anti-bullying statutes can be found in the Texas Education Code, Sections 25 and 37.

Bullying within the meaning of Texas’s Educational Code occurs when a student engages in any verbal or written statement, electronic communication, or physical act that results in, physical harm to a student, physical harm to a student’s property, or a student experiencing a reasonable fear of harm.

Bullying also includes any ongoing, severe, and persistent statements or physical acts that create an abusive educational environment for a student.

If the conduct interferes with a student’s education, substantially disrupts school, or exploits an imbalance of power between the victim and the perpetrator, it’s considered bullying. Bullying can take place on school property, in a vehicle operated by the school district, or during any school-sponsored or related activity. Students who engage in bullying can face school disciplinary actions. (Texas Educational Code § 37.0832.)

Acts of bullying or cyberbullying can result in significant punishment depending on the circumstances. In addition to suspension or expulsion from school, or other administrative punishments, a student convicted of a crime could face juvenile or adult criminal penalties. For example, the punishment for disruptive activities, a Class B misdemeanor, is up to 180 days in jail and up to $2,000 in fines.

Every school in Texas is required to have a policy on bullying that: 1) prohibits the bullying of a student; 2) prohibits retaliation against any person, including a victim, a witness, or another person, who in good faith provides information concerning an incident of bullying; 3) establishes a procedure for providing notice of an incident of bullying to a parent or guardian of the victim and a parent or guardian of the bully within a reasonable amount of time after the incident; 4) establishes the actions a student should take to obtain assistance and intervention in response to bullying; 5) sets out the available counseling options for a student who is a victim of or a witness to bullying or who engages in bullying; 6) establishes procedures for reporting an incident of bullying, investigating a reported incident of bullying, and determining whether the reported incident of bullying occurred; 7) prohibits the imposition of a disciplinary measure on a student who, after an investigation, is found to be a victim of bullying, on the basis of that student’s use of reasonable self-defense in response to the bullying; and, 8) requires that discipline for bullying of a student with disabilities comply with applicable requirements under federal law, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

In a proactive approach, as we usually address issues in our community, this past Monday, October 3, 2016, La Feria business community joined La Feria ISD in recognizing this day as a Blue Shirt Day® World Day of Bullying Prevention. As stated, by Gloria Santillan Casas, La Feria school trustee, in her invitation to the City Commissioners join her and the school district by wearing blue. She stated “As you all know, our goal is to have the best community for our children and that involves having an environment where a child can feel safe, and accepted and loved”. Several businesses, including Commissioner Eric Hoff, dressed in blue to show their support of anti-bullying

Thank you, local businesses and community, for always supporting LFISD’s initiatives. LFISD will have a school yearlong program to increase awareness in the area of bullying. Please be on the lookout for the next program. We all want to create the best environment possible for our children both in school and community.

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