Continuing the fight against bullying

Bullying has been defined as the “use of superior strength or influence to intimidate someone, typically to force him or her to do what one wants.” Somehow the definition doesn’t sound as bad as bullying is.

Like it or not, bullying has always been around, as long as people have lived together in communities. As long as imbalances in power occur, the potential for bullying exists, and this is unlikely to change. Not surprisingly, the field of research into the prevalence and prevention of bullying has expanded considerably in recent years. New factors have contributed negatively; not only the continuing breakdown of the family, but, also, the ever-expanding channels possible through technology use.

The good news is the prevention of bullying remains a high priority of school districts. Despite negative chatter that inevitably pops up — not necessarily based upon facts — we do our best in public education to battle this ongoing challenge, striving to be proactive.

A new measure we’ve added to the mix is the incorporation of a program called, “Stop!T,” which has quickly become widely used across the country. Superintendent Jody Balch is determined to refine its use at Clovis High School and then roll out to our middle schools.

CHS Principal Jay Brady described the implementation of the Stop!T app in a recent conversation. “While there are always policies in place, they may not be user friendly. Students are fearful of reporting bullying. We have different ways for safe reporting, including “bully boxes” in various locations, checked twice a day, but students don’t always report instances of bullying. We’ve set up Stop!T, available to all staff and students on campus, and it’s working; it’s immediate and completely anonymous, which is key.”

School staff remains consistently vigilant, of course, but it is impossible to see and know everything, whereas students are generally aware of everything going on, including aggressive undercurrents. Brady continued: “The first thing we want to make sure of before anything else, even before academics, is that kids are safe. There are no longer any more entirely safe places due the power of technology; students are always connected with too little supervision.”

As we spoke, notifications from Stop!T came through, with Brady glancing at each one, pausing to address. “Since we began this in February, actually, we have had some tremendous triumphs, that you’ll never hear about. Hey … we all love kids, or we wouldn’t be here.”

Cindy Kleyn-Kennedy is the Instructional Technology Coordinator for the Clovis Municipal Schools and can be reached at: [email protected]