Community Corner

Bullying: How District 157C Tackles The Issue

Patch reached out to school districts across the Chicago suburbs to see how they handle bullying in their communities.

Andrea Earnest's profile picture
Andrea Earnest, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
|
Frankfort Patch reached out to District 157C to take a look at how the district handles and reports bullying.
Frankfort Patch reached out to District 157C to take a look at how the district handles and reports bullying. (Shutterstock)

FRANKFORT, IL — As part of its coverage for National Bullying Prevention Month, Patch reached out to school districts across the Chicago suburbs to see how they handle bullying in their communities. Across the country, bullying is a problem that affects more than one in five students. And while some boil it down to the idea that "kids will be kids," studies show that students who are bullied are at increased risk for anxiety, depression, poor self-image, mental health and behavior problems and poor school adjustment.

Frankfort Patch reached out to District 157C to take a look at how the district handles and reports bullying. Patch asked the following questions:

  • What is the district’s policy with regard to bullying and cyberbullying? What is the discipline process for students who bully others?
  • How many reported incidents of bullying does the district have this year/last year (could also break this down by grade level)?
  • What constitutes a reportable bullying incident? How does the district define bullying? In other words, when does it rise to the level of being reportable?
  • What measures is the district taking to be proactive about bullying?
  • What is the district doing to help students who have been the victim of bullying?
  • Some schools use apps — Ok2Say, STOPIt, BullyTag, etc. — or some other system that allows students to anonymously report bullying. Does your district do this? What kind of volume are schools seeing? Has that increased/decreased?

District 157C's response can be found below:

Find out what's happening in Frankfortwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

District 157-C teaches social-emotional curriculum to students in grades PreK-8, which includes a focus on being kind, tolerant and respectful of others, and treating others how they would like to be treated. Age-appropriate anti-bullying curriculum is incorporated in social-emotional learning at all grade levels. The Second Step curriculum is taught at the PreK-fifth grade level and MAWI Learning is taught in the middle grades.

District 157-C’s administration, teachers and staff work diligently to prevent bullying, to encourage students and their families to report any concerns about bullying to district personnel, to ensure that all allegations of bullying are promptly and thoroughly investigated, and to address any bullying in a manner that fosters an environment where all students feel safe and protected at school and school functions.

Find out what's happening in Frankfortwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Even where our investigation shows that no bullying has actually occurred, the district administration collaborates with students and their families to resolve student conflicts and to employ measures that will prevent any future negative interactions between students.

Disagreements do occur and a resolution acceptable to all involved individuals may not be reached despite the district’s best efforts to ensure that all parties work together. The circumstances are exacerbated when outside parties, who do not have all pertinent information, repeat unfounded and unsupported accusations.

We ask that our community please consider the privacy of the district’s students in such matters. Also, we must all model appropriate and respectful behavior in communicating with one another for the students’ benefit and to maintain a positive school community.

District 157C also attached the Board of Education’s bullying policy and a statement from board president Edith Lutz, which can also be found below:

In 2008, the Board of Education adopted a policy which prohibits bullying, intimidation and
harassment in our school district. Since 2008, the Board’s policy has been consistent with Illinois law and the Illinois Association of School Board’s sample anti-bullying policy followed by most school districts in Illinois. The board’s policy is Policy # 7:180, and it is available to all on the school district’s website.

Our Board of Education, its Administrators and staff do not tolerate harassment, intimidating
conduct, or bullying of any kind that affects the tangible benefits of an education in our school district, that unreasonably interferes with our students’ educational performance, or that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational environment for any of our students.

More specifically, Board Policy 7:180 defines bullying to include any severe or pervasive physical or verbal act or conduct directed toward a student that:

1. places the student in reasonable fear of harm,
2. has a substantially detrimental effect on the student’s physical or mental health;
3. substantially interferes with the student’s academic performance; or
4. substantially interferes with the student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by our schools.

It is well-recognized that bullying, intimidation, and harassment diminish a student’s ability to learn and our schools’ ability to educate our students. Preventing students from engaging in these disruptive behaviors and providing all students equal access to a safe, non-hostile learning environment are important board of education, school district and community goals.

The board of education, the district and building administration, and our school district staff have worked diligently to achieve our goals to provide all students equal access to a safe, non-hostile
learning environment and to safeguard the well-being of all students. Under the Board Policy, any complaint of bullying or other inappropriate conduct is taken very seriously and is carefully and thoroughly investigated.

Most recently, there has been considerable activity on social media regarding complaints of student- on-student bullying in our schools. Again, the board wants our school community to know that the board, the district administration, and the staff take such complaints seriously and follow the board’s policy regarding complaints. The board has full confidence in the district administration to conduct any and all bullying investigations.

The district administration, led by Dr. Maura Zinni, has worked diligently – in compliance with the board’s anti-bullying and complaint policies – to ensure that no student in our school district is bullied and that all students feel safe in their schools.

The board understands that an investigation of a recent complaint has been completed. Federal and state laws and rules governing student privacy rights specify that the school district cannot release any specific information regarding the outcome of an investigation. We ask that all members of the community respect the privacy of the district’s students and parents and refrain from any negative commentary directed toward the students and their families.

The board, the administration, and the staff very much appreciate the overwhelming support of the community. Nonetheless, all of us must always seek to work together to make our schools a safe and welcoming place for everyone. For the benefit of our children, we must all model appropriate and respectful behavior in communicating with one another, be it individual-to-individual or in social media.

No Bully/Patch News Partner

The Menace Of Bullies: Patch Advocacy Reporting Project

As part of a national reporting project, Patch has been looking at society's roles and responsibilities in bullying and a child's unthinkable decision to end their own life in hopes we might offer solutions that save lives.

Do you have a story to tell? Are you concerned about how your local schools handle bullies and their victims?

Email us at bullies@patch.com and share your views in the comments.

Selected Stories From The Project

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Frankfort