Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying: It's the Law

The other night, I attended Morris County School Board Association's presentation of the new Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying Law. 

Quite honestly, I was not sure if it was going to be worth my time and energy because I've heard so much about thus topic already. I walked away that evening with a much greater understanding not only of the law itself and how it was designed to help both the bullies and their targets, but also an understanding of why the law was viewed by administrators and school boards as a burden.

Having been a victim of bullying as a child and having witnessed my children play different roles of bystander, target and perhaps even that of a bully, according to the definition of the law, I was thrilled that we were finally stepping up to do something to help all victims of bullying. As I heard last evening, if the law saves just one child then it is worth it. I completely agree with that statement!

The thought-provoking presentation given by Dr. Ricca, the superintendent of East Hanover School District was extremely enlightening. I was very impressed by all the steps his district had taken to ensure the successful implementation of the HIB policy.

I was most impressed with how he spoke of community involvement, including, not just teachers, administrators and students but community groups of parents, senior citizens, law enforcement, etc.

According to Dr. Ricca, they reached out to everyone and gathered input. Not only that, but they have an entire tab on their website for any person to go to report any incident that occurs. I checked it out briefly and it is certainly comprehensive. There is also a link to crimestoppers and this was defined as an anonymous way to report a bullying incident that will go directly to the administrator and police if a crime is involved.

I was impressed that all of this information can be replicated by any district. I would love to see at least some of the programs occur in Madison. I must also admit that I saw a cost involved in the enactment of this law and the term "unfunded mandate" was tossed around quite frequently.

There is a significant amount of time spent on forms, investigations, training, etc. There will undoubtedly be lawsuits. The attendees were even forewarned to protect themselves by keeping paper trails and ensuring they adhere to the law.

Along with this, they were advised to keep records of all the costs involved. The presenters all seemed to agree that the law is still new and will probably be amended in some regards as time passes. There are still a lot of questions left unanswered and the wide definition of bullying is indeed one of them.

In closing, I hope that more staff, parents and board members strive to gain a better understanding of the HIB law. There will be an opportunity at the next BOE meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 8, where the BOE lawyers will once again present the implications the law. I hope that people don't wait until they get a phone call or letter informing them that their child has been involved in a bullying episode before they take the time to become informed.

According to the law's definition of bullying, I am sorry to admit that there probably isn't a day that goes by where one of my children isn't bullied by their sibling in my home. I do address the situations when they arise, but thankfully, I'm not required to fill out paperwork each time.

Finally, let's all strive to work together to help our children understand how to treat each other with kindness and respect and how to be tolerant of each other's differences. I long for the day when bullying is no longer the reason giving for the latest suicide of a child.