States aim to curtail teen bullying in schools

By Staff Writer

As teen bullying becomes a national issue, many school districts are implementing prevention plans in an effort to curtail this trend. However, many of these initiatives may be ineffective at best, according to The Boston Globe.

Almost a decade ago, school districts in Washington State were ordered to introduce anti-bullying programs. The initiative that officials chose was from Norway, and boasted a reduction in bullying by half in many schools throughout that country. Although teachers reported improvement after implementation of the program, research showed that the program had no overall effect, according to the news provider.

In Massachusetts, school districts face a similar ruling, but many are having difficulties picking a program. Institutions have also recently been ordered to offer information to parents, provide training to teachers and staff, ensure that children with disabilities obtain skills to respond to bullying and teach students about bullying at every grade level, according to the media outlet.

According to a study by the National Education Association, more than 160,000 children miss school each day due to fear of attack or intimidation by another student. It also showed that 71 percent of students across the U.S. report that incidents of bullying are a problem in their own schools.