Students can report bullying online

A visit to the school system’s website is now all it takes to report incidents of bullying in Carteret County schools and at school activities.

Anonymous reports can be made by logging onto to the website at carteretcountyschools.org and clicking “Report A Bully” in the left navigational bar. The online reporting form was created in late May, and after a few improvements over the summer, this marks the first full school year it has been available for use.

Cristy Reese of Cape Carteret, founder of Kids Against Bullying in Schools, a nonprofit organization created to raise awareness about the problem, likes the idea of the online reporting tool and has been spreading the word about its availability through the group’s Facebook page and through informational material.

“I do want children to know it’s out there. It’s fabulous and it goes to show the school system is taking the problem (of bullying) seriously,” she said.

The school system encourages students to report bullying to an adult if they can; but if they feel more comfortable, there is also the online reporting form.

Anyone reporting bullying via the online form may remain anonymous, but in the report they need to provide specific information about the incident so that it can be thoroughly investigated.

“The more specific information about what happened and who was involved, the more likely school officials will get to the bottom of the issue,” Carteret County Public School System Director of Leadership Development Wanda Fowler said when the online reporting form was announced. “In order to substantiate a claim of bullying, principals need reports from students who have seen, or heard, the bullying. Many times those students are afraid to speak up for fear of suffering bullying themselves. Now, students have a way to report a situation without fear of retaliation.”

The online form asks for information such as when and where the incident took place, whether the incident was reported to the school, the name of the alleged bully and the type of incident —physical, verbal, cyber bullying. There is also a box where the person reporting is asked to describe the event.

According to the latest state and county school system policy definitions, “harassment or bullying behavior is any pattern of gestures or written, electronic or verbal communications, or any physical act or threatening communication that: (1) places a student or school employee in actual and reasonable fear of harm to his or her person or damage to his or her property; or (2) creates or is certain to create a hostile environment by substantially interfering with or impairing a student’s educational performance, opportunities or benefits.”

According to the school system, hostile environment means that the victim views the conduct as harassment or bullying and that the conduct is objectively severe or pervasive enough that a reasonable person would agree that it is harassment or bullying.

The online reporting form is part of ongoing efforts by the school system to address the issue, including the creation of an Anti-Bullying Task Force by school system Superintendent Dan Novey in fall 2009.

Some of the anti-bullying programs in place in Carteret County schools include Positive Behavior Support, Second Step, GREAT (Gang Resistance Education) and STAMP Out Bullying.

According to school system reporting, there were 40 documented incidents of bullying in Carteret County schools between Aug. 25, 2009 and Jan. 10.