How Many Acts of Bullying Take Place in the Delaware Schools?
Each year, the Delaware Department of Education is required to prepare an annual report of certain offenses, including bullying, that occur in school. The School Safety and Discipline Report for the 2009-2010 school year shows, among other things, the following:
(1) 21,690 students were either suspended or expelled - this represents 17.11% of the student population
(2) 556 incidents of bullying
(3) 2,585 incidents of offensive touching of a student
(3) 194 incidents of terroristic threatening of a student
(4) 118 incidents of sexual harassment
We all know that crime statistics only reflect the crimes that are reported, and that may victims don’t call the police. Well, the same thing applies to bullying in schools. The annual report does not tell the entire story because not all acts of bullying are reported by the victims. And in those cases where the victim does report it, the schools don’t always report it to the Dept. Of Education even though they are obligated by law to do so. By concealing the fact that bulling occurred in their school, the school deprives the Department of Education of the ability to take corrective action, and perpetuates an atmosphere in which bullying can exist.
