Cybersafety: Bullying

When talking with young students about bullying, I've found that they tend to define bullying by describing physical attacks - pushing, swirlies, wedgies, and so on. Verbal bullying is a big problem, too. A recent poll showed that 26% of students aged 11-16 said that they had been verbally bullied in the past year. 14% of all the students surveyed said that they had considered missing school because they were scared of being bullied.

During Bullying Awareness Week, we are encouraging students to Stand Up. If they see bullying on the playground or in the hallways, they need to tell a teacher or an adult. We need to reinforce this message to students at all grade levels. It is not OK to be a silent bystander. If students are afraid to report it at school, they can report it through their campus website. Each Brenham ISD campus homepage has a "Report Bullying Here" link on the left and students can submit their complaint anonymously.