PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS MUST COMMIT TO BULLYING PREVENTION
By Jill K. Spineti
The tragic suicide of school bullying victim Phoebe Prince in Massachusetts on January 14 should serve as a wakeup call in Connecticut showing that while progress has been made in creating safe school climates, much more still needs to be done. If anything positive can come from this tragedy, it must be a renewed commitment to prevention and to stopping bullying behavior by increasing resources for comprehensive bullying prevention programs in our schools.
Anti-bullying legislation in Connecticut and 41 other states sends a strong message from policymakers, educational and community leaders that the issue of bullying in schools will not be tolerated. Connecticut's law, passed in 2002 and revised in 2008, focuses attention on strategies, guidelines and policies that schools must adopt to protect the safety of all children.
Laws and policies alone will not change the culture within a school building or protect a child from the long-term harmful effects of bullying behavior. According to a report released by the State Department of Education in February, many districts appear to be falling short of the law's mandate that requires schools to put in place a comprehensive approach to bullying prevention. While some schools are exemplary in their approach to bullying prevention, most school administrators need--and are asking for--tools, training, programs and resources to change the culture to one of safety, caring and concern for all young people.
Bullied students do not perform as well in school as their non-threatened peers, and they are more likely to abuse alcohol or drugs. Student bullying, disengagement and marginalization are symptoms of the larger problem of poor school climate, which is associated with student behavior problems, a high rate of disciplinary suspensions, poor attendance, substance abuse and low achievement.
The 2008 law serves as a starting point, but there is not enough funding or resources for most schools to implement comprehensive bullying prevention programs. Even in these tough economic times, the state and private industry, who depend on a healthy, educated future workforce, must partner to find the money so schools can assess their needs and put in place practical, evidence-based strategies that are consistent with the anti-bullying legislation.
There is a clear, demonstrated interest and a veritable cry for help coming from school systems across the state. Over 200 school superintendents, principals, school support staff, teachers, boards of education and parents from across the state attended The Governor's Prevention Partnership's 2010 Best Practices Conference on April 6. A starting point for the type of support that school staff members and leaders need, the conference will showcase innovative approaches to building positive school climate.
Conference participants will explore ways to provide a consistent, safe and respectful environment at the classroom, school and district levels. Presenters will share programs and practices that foster positive relationships, meet the emotional needs of all students, prevent negative behaviors such as bullying and promote student success.
We need to help schools achieve positive, safe environments for students. We will do this by building partnerships with corporations and other private funders, as well as coordinating and promoting prevention training and services statewide.
Getting every school system to fully implement the provisions of the law is the only way to prevent tragedies like the one in Massachusetts, and it's the only way to keep every child safe. The huge interest from all corners of the state in the Best Practices Conference shows that schools do in fact take this issue seriously.
If we want positive school climates where our children can learn safely, we must find a way to pay for it. We must do this now and not wait until tragedy forces our hand.
Jill K. Spineti is President and CEO of The Governor's Prevention Partnership, a not-for-profit alliance of state government and business leaders dedicated to youth mentoring and prevention of violence, underage drinking and substance abuse to build a strong, future workforce. In 2009, Operation Respect - CT, an organization dedicated to prevention of bullying, merged with The Partnership. Spineti can be reached at Jill.Spineti@preventionworksct.org.