Bullies not acceptable

Jolted by a sexual molestation case involving two students, one of them in special education classes, the Las Virgenes Unified School District has formed a task force on bullying that administrators hope will ease parent concerns about kids being victimized on campus.

The task force recently gave the Las Virgenes School School Board several reports on bullying, including two national surveys stating that improper behavior patterns form in elementary school, and that by fifth and sixth grade the bullying has become sexualized. In urban and suburban middle schools, sexual harassment is pervasive, the research shows.

“Bullying happens in all areas.

Bullying is effective,” said Rose Dunn, principal of Round Meadow Elementary School in Calabasas and a member of the task force.

The parents of a 16-year-old special education student filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against the school district, claiming their son was molested by another boy while the two were attending Agoura High School.

The Superior Court found the boy guilty of molestation and made him a ward of the court.

According to the lawsuit against the school district, the accused boy had a history of abusing other children and that his behavior often went ignored.

The case is scheduled to go to trial in August and will decide what measures a school district is required to take to protect students on campus.

At the elementary school level, Dunn said it’s difficult to distinguish bullying from teasing. Psychological bullying frequently occurs with younger children. In elementary school, some students ignore classmates, exclude them from activities and spread rumors or lies.

“The looks that go on between these kids are amazing,” said one task force member.

Surveys found that four out of five students experienced some form of sexual harassment in school, ranging from rumors and sexual name calling to the unwanted touching of private body parts.

Bullying can cause a wide range of problems, experts say. Some children become depressed and withdrawn, while others become anxious or aggressive. Thousands of students wind up missing class because of their fears.

“Bullying does exist on our playground,” said Dunn, who pointed out that children often imitate the inappropriate behavior of their own parents.

To combat bullying at the elementary school level, administrators teach social skills and methods of conflict resolution. They show students how to identify and deal with bullies and, at some schools, parent education is offered.

Bullying is said to be worse in middle school where it takes the form of both verbal and physical abuse. The attacks include hitting, shoving, tripping and kicking.

Abbe Irshay, assistant principal at Lindero Canyon Middle School, said nine out of 10 students have cell phones and that rumors are often spread through text messaging.

One seventh grade clique is “harmful, mean and vicious,” Irshay said. “(The) rumors are out of control.” Janine Jellander, assistant principal at Agoura High School, said bullying and harassment also take place on the Internet. She noted two popular websites, myspace.com and myjournal.com, allow students to spread hurtful gossip about their classmates.

Irshay said the environment must change and that children must have someone they can talk to.

“We have to allow that child to have a voice, and (make sure) that their voice counts,” Irshay said.

Finding places for children to go who don’t have friends is an important first step in solving the problem.

“They need a place to escape where they can feel comfortable,” Irshay said. Attending clubs during lunch and other times of the day can help.

Disciplinary action against middle school bullies includes detention, suspension, mandatory trash pickup and even a visit from the Sheriff.

At Agoura High, Jellander said the school’s counselors respond immediately to any reports of bullying.

Board of Education member Judy Jordan asked whether some parents are dismissing the notion of bullying, saying that it’s just a part of growing up.

A response by Dunn indicated that the parents may indeed be part of the problem.

“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Dunn said.