Current Staff to Head District's Anti-Bullying Policy

On Monday, June 20, Board of Education met and approved a plan to address bullying districtwide. 

The new Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (HIB) policy, according to district administration, stems from the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights—which became a law this year. 

While policy specifies appointing an anti-bullying coordinator and a school safety coordinator, Collingswood Superintendent Scott A. Oswald confirmed no new hires will fill the positions. 

“(Under HIB), the law requires several ‘new’ positions, or titles, but is not funded and will not result in hiring additional staff,” said Oswald. “At the direction of the state, we will add these titles—Anti-Bullying Coordinator and School Safety Coordinator—to the responsibilities of existing staff.”

According to Oswald, two current district employees will be chosen for the positions, executing duties  like investigating bullying reports and speaking with student victims and their alleged aggressors.

“The result will be a much more formalized process of investigating complaints of bullying and addressing both the ‘bully,’ and the ‘bullied,’ if a case of bullying is evident,” said Oswald of the new policy.

According to the official HIB policy, “Harassment, intimidation, or bullying means any gesture, any written, verbal or physical act, or any electronic communication,” that conforms to the following standards: 

● Is motivated by real or biased characteristics, like religion; ancestry; race; nationality; gender; color; a physical, sensory or mental disability; gender expression, identity or sexual orientation.

● Occurs on district property; on a school-provided bus; during a district-sponsored activity or event; or off of district grounds, which prohibits or hampers a student’s rights or the regular flow of a school day

● Creates either emotional or physical effects in any student; results in the the destruction of a student’s property; or makes a student fearful of harm, either emotional or physical, to their person or belongings

● Insults or diminishes a student or multiple students

● Creates an atmosphere of hostility for a student in school, by affecting the education of that student or by “pervasively causing physical or emotional harm to the pupil,” according to the policy.

These standards also apply to bullying via “electronic communication,” which policy states as interaction through a land line or mobile phone, pager, computer, or other electronic device.

Policy states that any student found to be bullying will face consequences, the severity of which will depend on the severity of the individual circumstance. These consequences will be determined via factors like, age of the aggressor and victim, levels of harm, whether the aggressor is a repeat offender, and others. 

Consequences such as classroom removal; detention; suspension, either in- or out-of-school; involvement of law enforcement officials; among others. 

In adopting the HIB policy, the district has agreed to help bullying victims by providing family counseling services, conferences with parents, aid from community-based anti-bullying organizations, peer support—and, depending upon the severity of a case, even school transfers. 

Policy mandates that Superintendent Oswald will appoint an anti-bullying coordinator, who will be charged with bettering the district’s efforts in preventing, recognizing, and addressing bullying.  

A school safety official will be the party which receives bullying, intimidation or harassment complaints, receive HIB training, and educate students, staff, administration and parents about bullying prevention.

Oswald said the results of the HIB policy adoption remain to be seen.

“While the intent of the (HIB) law is commendable, the implementation end is so incredibly flawed I am left wondering how it will produce any positive effect,” said Oswald. 

Check back for a follow-up on Patch this week, detailing Oswald’s specific concerns, response from the New Jersey Coalition for Bullying Prevention and Awareness, and statistics from the New Jersey School Boards Association about area schools who have adopted this policy.