Task force set to curb problem of school bullies

Daniela Mohor

Friday, Sept. 21, 2001 | 10:10 a.m.

A new state task force is coming up with a plan to fight bullying in schools.

The plan includes teaching kids what bullying is and what they can do about it, as well as specialized training for teachers and other school employees, stricter enforcement of anti-bullying policies and regional conferences to further raise awareness.

The plan was the first report produced by "Bully Free for Me!" a task force composed of Nevada legislators, educators and community members.

The group, which works through the attorney general's office and the Nevada Department of Education, has two purposes: to stop current bullying behaviors and to implement a long-term prevention program.

"We know that the fruits of our labor today may not be harvested for many years, as one of our goals is to change how bullying is perceived by children and adults," said Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa, co-chairwoman of the task force, at a press conference Tuesday.

The task force hopes to change those perceptions with the Bully-Free for Me curriculum materials and lesson plans to teach third graders the importance of inclusion and respect at school.

Too often, Del Papa said, people don't realize how serious the consequences of bullying can be.

The issue of bullying gained nationwide attention after the 1999 Columbine shooting in Colorado and the Santana High School shooting last March that left two students dead in San Diego. Bullying was cited as a cause in both.

A recent nationwide survey published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that nearly one-third of the more than 15,000 students from grade six to 10 polled had been involved in bullying, either as victims or as bullies, task force materials said.

Even when limited to name-calling, threatening, or kicking, bullying can have a negative effect on children, the action plan notes, citing medical research. Victims experience an increased amount of stress, can lose their ability to cope and are at greater risk for depression.

Studies also show that bullies are four times more likely to commit crimes than other children, the task force noted.