The Toledo Blade reported this week about an incident of bullying at a middle school that may lead to misdemeanor charges against two teens. The article raises some important issues we thought were worth sharing here, including raising awareness of Ohio’s Safe Schools Act and noting that (in the long term) counseling is a better option for bullies than incarceration. When you think of bullying, have you considered that both victims and perpetrators could benefit from counseling? That it’s very possible that a bully has issues worth investigating and addressing, just as a bullying victim would? We hope you’ll read this excerpt from the Blade’s article and click the link below it for the full text. And if you’re in the greater Cleveland area and know a possible bully or bullying victim who might benefit from counseling, we hope you’ll reach out.
Bullying in Ohio public schools, whether it’s electronic, physical, or verbal, violates the Safe Schools Act. Districts are required to have a procedure for reporting and documenting cases. An anonymous tip line is available to students and parents at 1-844-723-3764.
“Our policies follow state guidelines,” Mr. Nelson said. “This is an unfortunate and awful incident. When these things come up, it’s a gut-check. We may find we need to do some things, and if we do, we’re going to.”
Despite the district’s alleged lack of action in previous bullying cases, Ms. Meyer-Crothers is pleased with how they’ve reacted to the latest complaint.
“Our district is very on top of it this time,” she said. “They understand the seriousness of it. I’m getting calls two and three times a day from them. We’re very happy with the way they’ve handled it. They’ve been in constant contact.”
Under Ohio law, a parent or guardian can file a civil suit and possibly recover compensatory damages of up to $10,000 from the parent of a child under the age of 18 if the child willfully and maliciously assaults the person by a means or force likely to produce great bodily harm.