The policy has resulted in more incidents being identified and addressed at Waynesville Elementary, according to Superintendent Pat Dubbs.
Last school year, the first full year the system was implemented at Waynesville Elementary, 38 incidents were reported and investigated; 10 incidents were unsubstantiated; and six incidents resulted in formal discipline, according to school records.
The principal and school counselor were involved in resolving each incident, even if it was unverified, and parents were called when warranted; disciplines imposed when necessary ranged from assigning bus seats, losing privileges and after school detentions, according to a district bullying report.
Behaviors at the middle school that were addressed last year included inappropriate conversation and behavior during lunch; students being called names; and students excluding others from activities, according to the report.
Dubbs said there was an increase in reported bullying incidents in the elementary because students became aware of what bullying was.
“That is not necessarily a negative because it means students are connecting with the lessons,” he said. “Our elementary staff and middle school staff believe very strongly in positive behavioral strategies and have seen a positive impact on the environment of our schools.”
At the high school, there were two incidents throughout the year; one resulting in a five-day, out-of-school suspension and the other resulting in a two-day, in-school suspension, according to the report.
According to a 2009 survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in five high school students are bullied. Bullying was higher among female students, 21 percent, than male students, 19 percent, and was more common among white students, 22 percent, than Hispanic students, 19 percent, and black students, 14 percent, according to the survey.
Programs that have helped stem bullying in Waynesville include Student of the Week, Student of the Month and weekly class meetings where discussions are focused on being kind and building self-esteem, school officials said.
Districts are required by the state to have bullying prevention programs in place, and comprehensive reports must be compiled by administrators twice a year. When the state Auditor’s Office conducts audits of public schools, Waynesville schools Treasurer Ron James said the first question they ask is often to see the district’s bullying prevention policy.
Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4542 or rwilson@coxohio.com.
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