8 Confirmed Bullying Incidents in Semi-Annual District Report

The state-mandated Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB) Policy enacted by shows eight confirmed bullying incidents occurred between Sept. 2011 and Jan. 2012.

Board of education members presented their semi-annual HIB report Monday.

Of the 43 total bullying allegations made districtwide from September to January, the report shows only eight were confirmed to be actual cases of bullying.

The following information, found in Collingswood's semi-annual HIB report, outlines alleged and confirmed cases of bullying between last September and this January:

Incidents by School—

• —2 Alleged; 0 Confirmed
• —2 Alleged; 0 Confirmed
• —1 Alleged; 0 Confirmed
• —6 Alleged; 0 Confirmed
• —3 Alleged; 0 Confirmed
• —22 Alleged; 6 Confirmed
• —7 Alleged; 2 Confirmed

Incidents by Grade Level—

• Kindergarten—2 Alleged; 0 Confirmed
• First Grade—1 Alleged; 0 Confirmed
• Second Grade—1 Alleged; 0 Confirmed
• Third Grade—3 Alleged; 0 Confirmed
• Fourth Grade—4 Alleged; 0 Confirmed
• Fifth Grade—3 Alleged; 0 Confirmed
• Sixth Grade—11 Alleged; 4 Confirmed
• Seventh Grade—6 Alleged; 0 Confirmed
• Eighth Grade—5 Alleged; 1 Confirmed
• Ninth Grade—3 Alleged; 3 Confirmed
• Tenth Grade—2 Alleged; 0 Confirmed
• Eleventh Grade—0 Alleged; 0 Confirmed
• Twelfth Grade—2 Alleged; 0 Confirmed

Summaries and Consequences of Confirmed Bullying Incidents—

• —Oct. 2011—Victim referred to using anti-gay term—Parent conference and out of school suspension
• —Oct. 2011—Victim referred to using anti-gay term—Parent conference and mandatory counseling
• —Oct. 2011—Victim was target of demeaning comments about personal handicap—Parent conference and mandatory counseling
• —Oct. 2011—Victim referred to using anti-gay term—Parent conference, out of school suspension, and mandatory counseling
• —Oct. 2011—Victim pressured to turn over money to bully—Parent conference, out of school suspension, and mandatory counseling
• —Nov. 2011—Victim referred to using anti-gay term/sexually-explicit language—Parent conference, seat moved, Saturday school detention served
• —Nov. 2011—Victim referred to using racial epithet—Parent conference, out of school suspension
• —Dec. 2011—Victim photographed exiting shower after athletic match—Parent conference, out of school suspension, excluded from all co-curricular activities

According to Collingswood Superintendent Dr. Scott A. Oswald, severity of consequences varied depending on factors unique to each bullying allegation.

"Eight of the (43 alleged) incidents we've had have been confirmed as cases of bullying under the law. Every time we have a confirmed incident, there's a parent conference," said Oswald of disciplinary action. "And every time an allegation is made, at the very minimum, there is parent contact. Typically, there's also a counseling component, and sometimes Saturday school is implemented.

"We run through an entire, time-consuming process for every single concern brught to us by a student, parent or teacher," he said. "Criteria is set forth, and while most incidents are not found to be (confirmed cases of bullying), we investigate—through our child study team, counselors, psychologists and our secondary-school bullying specialist—every incident that is alleged."