The Menace Of Bullying: What Narragansett-SK Parents Are Saying

NARRAGANSETT-SOUTH KINGSTOWN, RI — An informal survey of Patch readers in New England reveals great concern among parents about the extent and severity of bullying their children experience in school and online. Almost nine in 10 parents said their child had been bullied at least once, and nearly half said the bullying had occurred frequently.

In Narragansett, five parents responded to the anonymous survey, while seven responded in South Kingstown. While Rhode Island's statewide bullying policy clearly prohibits bullying, most parents said school officials turned a blind eye to their child.

Parents left little doubt as to the consequences of unchecked bullying, saying their children dread going to school and their grades have suffered, that they have been forced to change schools, that they have been physically harmed or suffered from low self-esteem, anxiety and depression. Some parents said they knew of bullied children who had committed suicide.

One parent from Narragansett said it's the school's responsibility to do more to make students feel safe enough to come forward.

"The district could do better of making it easier for children to come forward. These kids that are getting bullied are the quiet ones that have a hard enough time being bullied and they don’t want to make more trouble so they keep quiet. They could also make it easier for parents to come forward and talk to the proper chains. This behavior needs to stop."

And while most parents said school officials in their communities have adopted policies intended to curb or stop bullying, many believe those policies are poorly enforced — if they are enforced at all. Parents used terms like "ineffective," "inadequate" and "a joke" to describe them.

The regional parent survey, timed to coincide with National Bullying Prevention Month in October, was posted on more than 100 Patch sites in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. 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 Tuesday, Oct. 15, more than 430 parents has responded to the Patch survey. The key findings were:

• Nearly 89 percent of parents said their children had been bullied at least once, and nearly half — 47 percent — said bullying had been frequent. Only 11 percent said their children had never been bullied.
• Bullying took many forms, from teasing and name-calling to exclusion from groups to physical harm such as punching or kicking. Nearly a third of respondents said their children had experienced some sort of physical harm.
• Bullying took many forms, from teasing and name-calling to exclusion from groups to physical harm such as punching or kicking. Nearly a third of respondents said their children had experienced some sort of physical harm.