Most of us are familiar with the old rhyme “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.”
While many of us may have been told that growing up, we now know that words in fact can hurt. Words can be used to bully those that we do not like and want to hurt. Words can also be used to create divisions among different groups.
During the public comment section of the January Noblesville school board meeting, a parent once again told the board of an incident in which words were used against a student to hurt and divide. This was not the first time that a parent has addressed the board to tell them of a bullying situation at a Noblesville school.
I can attest that in the last year, I have personally been informed by other students about incidents in which they have been the victim of bullying and harassment in our schools. It has to be said that this use of words came from other students and not from teachers. While bullying is nothing new, and it is certain to continue at some level in the future even with laws and policies that try to minimize it, cell phones and the internet have made bullying and harassment much easier to do and more dangerous to the mental and emotional well-being of our children.
The Noblesville school board has a policy in place to address bullying prevention in the schools, policy # po5517.01. Covered in the policy are the expectations of positive behavior, encouraging students to report any incidents, requiring staff to report an incident, providing parental notification, and more.
Now, enter the Indiana General Assembly to the rescue.
In this new legislative session, there is a Senate bill, SB142, which requires the Indiana Department of Education to develop curricula on internet safety no later than July 1, 2024. It is noteworthy that the proposed bill requires that the curricula should be different for elementary school students and high school students. The curricula are to include sections on thinking critically, acting ethically, cyberbullying, promotion of dangerous behavior directed at the student, and practicing cybersecurity. This bill has already had the first reading and has been assigned to the Senate Committee on Education and Career Development.
The last two years have put additional stress on our kids and occurrences of anxiety and depression have increased significantly. It has become increasingly important to address instances of bullying and harassment. As I stated earlier, while no law or policy can prevent bullying or harassment, we can hope that continued stress on the expectations of ethical behavior in the treatment of others and reacting appropriately when you see unethical behavior can lead to a continued decline in the incidence of bullying and harassment.
Click here for a reading of the proposed legislation.