The Menace Of Bullying: What District 308 Parents Are Saying

OSWEGO, IL — An informal survey of Patch readers whose children attend Oswego School District 308 and other local schools shows concern over bullying, and offers suggestions and tips for combating the scourge. The survey results were part of a larger look at bullying, with parents throughout the Midwest signaling that bullying — in school and over social media — is a problem.

The regional parent survey, timed to coincide with National Bullying Prevention Month in October, was posted on dozens of Patch sites in Illinois and in the Midwest. The survey is not scientific, but could be considered a broad indicator of parents' feelings about the seriousness of bullying in their schools and communities.

As of Friday, Oct. 18, more than 460 parents responded to this regional Patch survey. The key findings were:

• Nearly 71 percent of parents said their children had been bullied at least once.
• Nearly 65 percent had been bullied this school year.
• Over 56 percent of parents said their child had been bullied by name calling, while nearly 34 percent say their child has been bullied by text, social media or other electronic communication.

Survey respondents who said their children are enrolled in District 308 schools said the district should do more to address bullying, and to especially do more to help victims of bullying. Two respondents said they want to see more services for those who are bullied.

"Check in with students that are being bullied," one survey respondent suggested.

"Have a club in every school with mentors with weekly meetings," one respondent wrote. "A place where kids can go and not feel judged."

One respondent suggested better monitoring of the buses, and another said the administration has to do more to make sure anti-bullying efforts are enforced uniformly, and don't fall on principals or local staff. (There were six respondents who said they had students enrolled in District 308 and who filled out the written portion of the survey.)

These informal findings should be compared to statistics compiled in more scientific surveys, which note that:

• Bullying affects 1 in 3 U.S. schoolchildren (NoBully.org)
• 59 percent of U.S. students experience cyberbullying (Pew Research Center)
• 160,000 kids stay home from school every day to avoid bullies, National Association of School Psychologists

The Menace Of Bullies: Patch Advocacy Reporting Project

As part of a national reporting project, Patch has been looking at society's roles and responsibilities in bullying and a child's unthinkable decision to end their own life in hopes we might offer solutions that save lives.

Do you have a story to tell? Are you concerned about how your local schools handle bullies and their victims? Email us at bullies@patch.com and share your views in the comments.
Selected Stories From The Project

• Bullied To Death: When Kids Kill With Words
• I Could Have Been Mallory Grossman
• Bullied Over Homemade T-Shirt, Kid Inspires University Of Tennessee Design
• America's Shameful Truth About School Shooters And Bullying
• Cyberbullying Most Often Affects Girls; These Women Are Trying To Stop It
• Bullying Kids: Straighten Up, Or Your Parents May Have To Pay Up
• Teen Who Killed Himself Wasn't 'Worthless,' Family Tells Bullies
• Menace Of Bullies: Why This Woman Resigned Her 6-Figure Job
• Survivor Of Bullying And Suicide Writes Frankly About Both