Bullying In Glenview Schools: Here's What Parents Are Saying

GLENVIEW, IL — Bullying prevention programs in Glenview public schools received mixed reviews in an informal survey of Patch readers. The unscientific sampling of self-identified respondents who said their children attend schools provided anecdotal feedback about how parents feel administrators are doing in countering the menace of bullying in elementary and high schools in Glenview.

Several parents of students at Glenbrook high schools said administrators are part of the bullying problem.

"The administration contributes to the problem. Teachers, who see behavior daily, conveniently ignore when student on student. I believe most don't want to get involved. Next, the administration is guilty of bullying as well. Inappropriate comments about students in front of other students. Staff not training to handle each student scenario with care and kindness. Taking care of simple administrative tasks with the administration has been unnecessarily confrontational at times — without justification," one respondent said. "Parents are also guilty or exhibiting completely inappropriate behavior in front of THEIR kids as well as other students. I have witnessed parental misconduct when picking up my student at the end of the day. I believe the bullies are generally learning these behaviors from their immediate family."

In an interview, one district parent said identified physical education teachers, especially women, as responsible for repeated bullying of students.

Another parent who responded to the survey said the district's bullying prevention was nothing more than rhetorical, describing it as "punching the card, covering the bases to avoid liability."

"Don't be intimidated by the parents of the bullies," urged another parent in the district. "Many of the bullies are the so-called 'popular' kids whose parents are professionals who deny that their kids do anything wrong. School employees are afraid of the parents and refuse to confront them," one parent said. "Kids who are bullied know that school staff is useless and won't help them, so they don't report bullying to teachers. Teachers want to 'hang out' with the popular kids themselves and be their 'friends,' so they pretend that bullying doesn't occur."

Another district parent, who said they had seen in-school suspension used as a punishment for bullying at their school, described the district's policies as too sensitive.

"Bullying is the label given to children even having physical contact with each other, even if there is no intimidation intended or perceived," the respondent said. "Every instance of perception is labeled as bullying. It persecutes the innocent in an effort to eradicate a no tolerance policy."

A District 30 parent described bullying prevention as little more than "a seminar here or there."

"Policy is good but don't feel it's followed," they said. Their child suffered physical bullying that caused anxiety and depression, according to the respondent.

"Discuss how it affects kids more," they suggested. "Have more sessions and speakers about it."

Read More: Bullying: How Glenview Schools Tackle The Issue

Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

The regional parent survey, timed to coincide with National Bullying Prevention Month in October, was posted on dozens of Patch sites in Illinois and in the Midwest. The survey is not scientific, but could be considered a broad indicator of parents' feelings about the seriousness of bullying in their schools and communities.

Take the Patch bullying survey »

As of Friday, Oct. 18, more than 460 parents responded to this regional Patch survey. The key findings were:

• Nearly 71 percent of parents said their children had been bullied at least once.
• Nearly 65 percent had been bullied this school year.

These informal findings should be compared to statistics compiled in more scientific surveys, which note that:

• Bullying affects 1 in 3 U.S. schoolchildren (NoBully.org)
• 59 percent of U.S. students experience cyberbullying (Pew Research Center)
• 160,000 kids stay home from school every day to avoid bullies, National Association of School Psychologists

The Menace Of Bullies: Patch Advocacy Reporting Project

As part of a national reporting project, Patch has been looking at society's roles and responsibilities in bullying and a child's unthinkable decision to end their own life in hopes we might offer solutions that save lives.

Do you have a story to tell?

Are you concerned about how your local schools handle bullies and their victims?

Email us at bullies@patch.com and share your views in the comments.

Selected Stories From The Project

• Bullied To Death: When Kids Kill With Words
• I Could Have Been Mallory Grossman
• Bullied Over Homemade T-Shirt, Kid Inspires University Of Tennessee Design
• America's Shameful Truth About School Shooters And Bullying
• Cyberbullying Most Often Affects Girls; These Women Are Trying To Stop It
• Bullying Kids: Straighten Up, Or Your Parents May Have To Pay Up
• Teen Who Killed Himself Wasn't 'Worthless,' Family Tells Bullies
• Menace Of Bullies: Why This Woman Resigned Her 6-Figure Job
• Survivor Of Bullying And Suicide Writes Frankly About Both
• 'I Will Be Your Friend': First-Grader's Shirt Fights Bullies
• Girl-To-Girl Bullying: Why It's Different, Difficult To Confront
• Cyberbullying In This Michigan City Carries $500 Fine, 3 Months In Jail
• Bully Upstander: Whatever He Said Caused Bullies To Back Down
• Bullying Caused 11-Year-Old To Attempt Suicide, Mother Says
• The Menace Of Bullies: Most U.S. States Take On Cyberbullying
• Cyberbullying Is Now Against The Law In Michigan
• Shooting Incident Linked To Bullying At School, Mom Says
• Girls More Likely Than Boys To See Bullying As Harmful: Study
• 13-Year-Old Hangs Herself, But Bullying Killed Her
• Teen Tells Bullies In Video: 'Every Day, I Wear Your Words'
• 'The Hero Myth': Why Expecting Kids To Fight Bullies Is Harmful
• 'Mr. Anti-Bully': Reformed Bully, 12, Sets Mistake Right
• Mallory Grossman Bullying Detailed In Wrongful Death Suit
• Malden Schools Were Non-Compliant Through Bullying Saga: DOE
• Mom Speaks About Bullying Heartbreak: 'I Feel I Failed Him'
• Why These Kindergartners Start Each Day With A Handshake
• The Bully Menace: 'The Hurt Never Goes Away'
• Bullies And Their Targets The Same: Digital Self-Harm Rising
• Williamsburg Poetry Teacher Helps Bullied Kids Open Tortured Minds
• Bullying Tougher To Confront When It's Bias-Based: Researchers
• The Bully Menace: 13 Age-Appropriate Reads
• Teen's 'I Wear Your Words' Video Inspires Nashville Songwriters

From No Bully, Patch News Partner

• School Shootings: Eradicating Bullying Must Be Part Of Safety Plan
• Is Screen Time Hurting My Child?
• Preschool Children: Online And Dangerous
• What Every Young Child Needs To Know About Being Online
• Patch Partners With No Bully To Help Eradicate Bullying
• Meet 14-Year-Old CEO On Mission To Spread Kindness, Stop Bullying
• Cyberbullying Is Now A Crime In Michigan: Is Criminalizing A Good Idea?
• Hitting A Homerun With Kindness With The Phillies

From The Experts

• 'The Anti-Bully': Talk And, Especially, Listen To Your Kids
• The Bully Menace: Patch Experts Offer Tips To Parents
• Anti-Bully Experts Offer Tips On Sometimes Deadly Encounters
• Understanding The Bully: They're Often Victims, Too, Experts Say

What We've Learned

• 10 Key Takeaways From Patch's The Menace Of Bullies Series
• The Bully Menace: What Patch Has Learned About Bullying