Are You OK with Your School's Policy on Bullying?

By Hunt Archbold

Bullying at schools has become a growing epidemic across the country, leaving many parents feeling as helpless and anxious as those being bullied.

Atlanta Public Schools was sued in Fulton County Superior Court this month by a former Inman Middle School student’s family, as they alleged the school district did nothing to address a bullying attack from September 2012 that left their 12-year-old son suffering a “near death blow” and needing a three-hour corrective surgery.

The parents who filed the suit, Jeff and Jennifer Del Bagno, said school officials never documented the incident, never reported the incident to police, or disciplined the students involved in the attack. The Del Bagnos said bullying had been a problem at the intown Atlanta school for more than a year before the attack, and despite their repeated email communications with school administrators, the district indicated two months after the attack that they were unaware of any such bullying problems.

The state of Georgia has “The Georgia Bullying Law” that protects students from constant bullying and it threatens repercussions for the bullies. Check out the Bullying Prevention Toolkit that has plenty of information on how to handle bullying amongst our children.

Do you know what to look for if your child may be the victim of bullying at school or on the internet? Do you know the signs that your child may be engaging in bullying at school or online?

Is there a culture of bullying at your child's school? Are You Happy with Your School's Policy on Bullying? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.