Washington students sound off on anti-bullying bill
By The Associated Press
02.25.02
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SEATTLE — While some state lawmakers seem confident that an anti-bullying bill would ease harassment in schools, students are not so sure.
Simply having a law wouldn't discourage students from bullying others, says Alexandra Fast, a senior at Nathan Hale High School in Seattle.
"The majority of kids aren't going to be found out," Fast says. "You don't tell on that person because you're afraid of being called a tattletale."
The bill, which passed the House earlier this month, would require school districts to draw up or amend plans for dealing with classroom bullies. The state would write a model policy.
Nathan Hale students discussing the measure in a recent government class said it's not a simple thing to legislate.
"I think it's kind of a knee-jerk reaction to an issue that needs to be addressed," says 17-year-old Kiera Clarke.
Students would fear expressing an opinion because they may be penalized and labeled a bully, therefore infringing on their First Amendment right to free speech, says classmate Emily Doubt, 18.
Students say bullying in high school consists of daily verbal harassment, vandalism such as slashing another student's tires or pushing someone around. In elementary and middle school, they say physical harassment — punching, kicking and shoving — is a popular choice for intimidation.
Thousands of students stay home from school every day because they fear being bullied, says Jerry Painter, general counsel for the Washington Education Association.
He says constant harassment lead to violent responses like the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., where two student outcasts went on a shooting rampage and killed 13 others before killing themselves.
"If we're ever going to stop violence in our schools we're going to have to do it by ending the bullying that's going on," Painter says.
Since the shootings at Columbine, states like Alaska, Illinois, Oregon and West Virginia, have passed laws requiring schools to adopt anti-bullying policies.
The National Education Association recently adopted a plan that asks school districts to protect homosexual students and staff by adopting policies that punish harassment and discrimination.
The proposal would encourage schools to develop factual materials for classroom discussions on homosexuality. All staff and students would be encouraged to speak up when they see or experience discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Similar to the NEA's plan, the measure brought by state Rep. Ed Murray, a Seattle Democrat, would protect people that may be targeted because of their sexual orientation, race or handicap.
That provision may determine whether the bill is approved in the Senate, which last year passed the bill only after it had been stripped of any provisions that listed protected classes.
State Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell, chairwoman of the Education Committee, says she hopes lawmakers can finally come to an agreement on the proposal.
"People need an awareness of the very beginnings of violence," McAuliffe says.
In Washington, a survey of 243 school districts showed that almost 45% did not have anti-bullying policies, according to the Washington Association of School Administrators. Another 45% said they did not believe a law would help decrease
harassment in their districts.
Several Nathan Hale students say the proposal would likely cause more harm than good because there's no clear definition of what bullying is.
"There's no universal scale," says senior Bjorn Begelman. "It's open to interpretation and that's what drives the fear."
Classmate Clarke worries the legislation could be used to stymie classroom discussion on such topics as race, religion or sexual orientation.
Senior Reid Erickson argues the bill would protect a student's right to an education. If a student must constantly deal with bullying and harassment, eventually they will stop going to school, he says.
Erickson says teachers would be able to determine whether a student is joking or bullying, and therefore punishable under the law.
"The bill wouldn't be for a one-time occurrence," Erickson says. "It's for everyday torment."
Update
Washington Senate approves anti-bullying bill
Sponsor predicts swift approval by House, governor for measure requiring school districts to adopt anti-harassment policies.
03.07.02
Previous
Anti-bullying bill passes Washington Senate
But House is expected to kill measure that opponents argue would infringe on students' free-speech rights.
05.17.01
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04.24.01
