County-wide bullying hotline?

Be sure to read Mary Fox's Letter to the Editor in today's Northwest Herald. She writes about bullying, mean-spiritedness and violence.

What McHenry County needs is a county-wide hotline for reports of bullying.

It wouldn't have to be a manned hotline, although messages should be collected at least daily. Bullying is usually an ongoing problem that doesn't require emergency action. It's certainly important, but often not urgent. Any urgent or emergency need should be reported to police and the school district office, then reported to the hotline.

Non-emergency reports could be made to the hotline, where volunteers could work with the bullied student and parents to guide them through the reporting process and to help them get corrective action.

A hotline would reduce the possibility that school personnel would attempt to diminish the importance of reported bullying. A hotline would also help identify schools with problems that are not being addressed. School personnel are not likely to tell a student or parent that others are also reporting bullying.

Students and parents: what do you think? Is it time for a bullying hotline in McHenry County?

Confront school bullies

Today's Northwest Herald (Sunday, November 1; page 1D) carries an excellent article by Jami Kunzer about bullying in schools. What school district is involved? Woodstock District 200!

I heard Kelly Kucharski speak at the recent MCC event put together by Principled Minds, a new not-for-profit organization established by Harold Rail of Afterglow Creative Services, here in Woodstock.

It's too bad that you'll have to buy today's Northwest Herald to read this article. Apparently, it's not online, where it could be read and forwarded widely within District 200. A search on www.nwherald.com for "Kucharski" or "bullies" or "principled" does not find the article. I was told last week that NWH is having trouble with its search engine. It shouldn't be that hard to fix!

I have known of bullying in Woodstock District 200 schools since about 1998 and have fought many battles with them. Putting an end to bullying in District 200 is like trying to win the war in Afghanistan. Just when you think you winning, another "explosion" occurs and you find out you are losing.

And I can tell you from first-hand experience that it is not just the students who bully other students.

An Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) technical consultant was called in late one school year. Although she visited a student's classrooms on only one day and for only four hours, she reported that she had observed a teacher and staff "interacting inappropriately with the student, causing an escalation in undesirable behavior." Oh, you mean "bullying"...

When your kid comes home and reports problems at school, believe your kid first. When the school folks tell you that could never happen in their school, do not automatically believe them and distrust your own kid.

Parents must get involved and stay involved. We must stop all bullying in our schools!