TOPEKA Bullying just wont go away. If anything, the advent of smartphones and social media has made it worse.
Thats forced a conversation on what Kansas schools can do to help. The problem? Its easier to get adults to weigh in than students.
But for kids and teens out there who have suffered or witnessed bullying online or in person, the state wants you to adults what you think they should know. (And for the record: Parents, teachers and others who deal with bullying, your input is welcome, too.)
Earlier this year, Kansas put together a panel of teachers, counselors, officials and others to craft recommendations that will go to the Kansas State Board of Education for consideration this winter.
Kansas has had an anti-bullying law for more than a decade with basic requirements for school policies and procedures.
Its too early to know what new measures the panel will suggest. It could be anything from tweaks to state policies to guidance on how schools should handle bullying incidents.
Some of those things are already there, said Myron Melton, who works for the state Department of Education. But we know that they havent been fully effective in remedying the problem. Our goal now is to say, whats missing?
Anyone can send in their thoughts and ideas by email, but should know that those letters become part of the panels meetings and materials. They are available to the public and archived online.
Instructions for
writing to the panel
The education department also has a chat room dedicated to the topic that functions similar to a closed Facebook group. Its hosted on the pro-privacy social media platform called MeWe; only people age 16 and older can use it.
Cyberbullying on the rise
A survey released by the U.S. Department of Education last month shows an uptick in cyberbullying reports. And girls were more likely than boys to say others had bullied them through social media and texts.
