The Menace Of Bullying: What Lemont Parents Are Saying

LEMONT, IL — An informal survey of Patch readers in Lemont whose children attend schools in District 113A and Lemont High School included personal details of bullying incidents among their children. 93 percent of Lemont parents who responded said their child often or sometimes experienced bullying or cyberbullying.

When asked about the district's bullying discipline policies, responses from parents varied. One parent said bullying has become an epidemic, but believed the school districts are doing a "great job."

"They do the best they can," another parent said.

Another parent noted that it's not the district's job to address bullying, "it's the parents teaching their kids to respect others, not the school."

Yet another parent said "Look to the parents for accountability and the parents need to start disciplining their children and stop enabling them..."

When asked what impact they think bullying has had on students in their child's district, these Lemont parents didn't hold back with their responses. Parents mentioned their child's attendance was impacted, and they had poor self-esteem, emotional struggles, stress, depression and anxiety.

One parent said bullying "destroys lives."

"[They] have no self-esteem and [are] suffering from crippling depression," another parent wrote.

When asked about the kind of bullying prevention they've seen in their child's school district, parents did write that the schools have intervention meetings, education, assemblies and talks in advisory.

"The students participate in programs that revolve around positivity and being kind to others," one parent said.

However, other parents said they didn't see any kind of prevention.

"They don't care," one parent wrote.

One parent said both districts should have "clear consequences" for bullying and "parent involvement."

Another LHS parent noted the bullying speech is done to all students, but "it needs to be one-on-one with the person who is doing the bullying."

"Be more aware. Take these blinders off, it's happening right in front of your eyes," another parent said.

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.

Bullying: How District 113A Tackles The Issue

Bullying: How Lemont High School Tackles The Issue

As of Oct. 21, 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, and nearly 65 percent had been bullied this school year.
• 36.3 percent of parents said their child has witnessed bullying often at school.
• 48.5 percent of parents said if their child is bullied, it is two or more students bullying them.

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
• Howell Teen Runs To Save Lives, Change Statistics On Suicide
• 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
• What Prompts Bullying In This Ohio School
• 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
• Bullied 10-Year-Old's Suicide 8th In School District This Year
• 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
• 'They All Failed And Changed A Child': Malden Bullying Detailed
• 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