School Bullies: Senator Wants More Systematic Approach to DOE Plan
Editor’s Note: This is another installment in our occasional series on bullying in Hawaii schools. Read previous coverage here.
In the 1990s, bullying was prioritized as a serious problem for the Hawaii Department of Education.
After more than two decades of teens being harassed and some taking their own lives as a result, surveys still show the district leads the nation in many categories of bullying. Advocates for stronger reforms say the department needs a systematic approach that effectively addresses the issue through appropriate training and reporting requirements.
The monthly Keiki Caucus meeting, hosted by Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland Monday at the State Capitol, included three dozen stakeholders ranging from social workers to nonprofit volunteers. The meeting featured DOE education specialist Jean Nakasato, who gave the group an update on what the district is doing to reduce bullying and harassment.
The department started rolling out a “new, enhanced comprehensive student support system” last month that focuses on academic and behavioral development, Nakasato said. Built into that new system is the , which involves everything from routine staff trainings to timely student assessments.
As part of the initiative, schools will be required to provide annual anti-bullying presentations and develop prevention and intervention strategies, she said.
A color-coded early warning system and self-assessment tools are another part of the equation, Nakasato said.
“It’s a combination of all of these factors that pulls together how we begin to address anti-bullying, anti-harassment kinds of issues,” she said.
The senator had some concerns over the criteria used in the early warning system to flag kids as at-risk. In particular, Chun Oakland said a student’s grades are not necessarily a good indicator, as evidenced by some recent suicides.
Nakasato said she couldn’t say off-hand what all the criteria were in evaluating students. She also wasn’t sure if the data could be shared with other agencies, like the Department of Human Services, whose representative said the agency wants to be more active in the discussion.
The department has recognized that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work, Nakasato said. So the district is working to identify a list of research-based programs that administrators adopt for their school.
The department hasn’t been able to complete the list yet due to limited time, she said, adding that the district also faces a lack of funding to do all the different training sessions.
Chun Oakland said she still has concerns over how students report incidents of bullying, especially if they’re being bullied by their teachers.
Nakasato said schools can set up reporting boxes for students to anonymously submit reports.
“I’m still trying to look for, systemically, something that is universal, so that no matter what school you go to, it’ll be there,” Chun Oakland said.
In the next couple years, the district is looking at a universal screener for behavior, like the one they have for academics, which would be across all schools, Nakasato said.
