GRAVETTE — Bullying.

We hear, see and read a lot about that subject these days, mostly involving teens, preteens and elementary students. Sometimes even adults are involved.

Some stories invoke the realities that can occur if what once was considered by many as childish pranks evolve into tragedies.

Consider the recent bullying that resulted in the death of a teenage foreign exchange girl. Or physical attacks by grade school children on their classmates. Or the Missouri mother who used Internet bullying that caused the suicide of one of her daughter’s classmates.

Bad Stuff.

Bullying is a problem both in and outside the school system. How tocope? The Gravette school student handbook addresses the issue in a policy that was adopted in 2004 and later revised in 2007.

The policy defines bullying as “Any pattern of behavior by a student or a group of students that is intended to harass, intimidate, ridicule, humiliate or instill fear in another child or group....”

The handbook lists examples of bullying such as mocking, taunting, belittling, threatening, blackmail, stealing, deliberate physical contact, demeaning humor, sarcastic comments, sexual or ethnic harassment, among others.

The book encourages students to report such behavior. Such reports may be made anonymously. Staff members are to report bullying examples to building principals; parents/ guardians should provide written reports to the principals for investigation. Electronic bullying is also covered in the policy.

Disciplinary action can depend on the individual circumstances and can even result in student expulsion. Persons reporting shall not be subject to retaliation in any form, the policy states.

School Action

Following the suicide of the female exchange student mentioned earlier, Dr. Andrea Kelly, Superintendent of Schools, issued a 30-plus page memorandum to the school staff outlining how to identify bullying, what measures to take if it occurs and how to exhibit an attitude of caring and concern to a victim.

The document included copies of research by Barbara Coloroso, “The Bulliedand the Bystander”, which covers the many aspects of the subject including the traits of the bully, the bullied and the bystander including other students, parents and the public. Coloroso, ironically, is from Littleton, CO, the scene of the shootings in that school system several years ago.

Kelly’s directives were to the entire school staff, including maintenance, custodial, food service, bus drivers, as well as faculty.

Each school building held presentations on the subject including one for students at the high school level at an assembly conducted by Duane Thomas, Assistant Principal.

Copies of Coloroso’s book have been ordered for all district employees. “This issue is too important not to have the information available to us,” Dr. Kelly said.

News, Pages 8 on 04/21/2010