Parents claim schools are not doing enough to stop bullying

By Staff Writer

Bullying has becomes a major issue across the country as a result of the recent suicides of teens who had been harassed. The Spec spoke to several teens and their parents who said that schools and police still are not doing enough to prevent this issue.

For example, Kristen Gibson is the mother of a son who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiance disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. She told the news source that her son's school has never properly handled his learning disabilities, and that they have dismissed a serious bullying issue as "mere teasing."

The harassment become so severe that Gibson pulled her son out of school.

The principal at his school, Mark Bridges, describes the case as an ongoing situation.

According to a recent survey by the Hamilton Public Board, 5 percent of high school students are physically bullied at least once a week. In addition, more than 9 percent reported being verbally bullied, with 7 percent occurring the abuse in person and 4 percent targeted online or by text message.

In a study by the National Education Association, it was estimated that more than 160,000 children miss school each day due to fear of attack or intimidation by another student.