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Cheyenne school district finds bullying occurs above the national average

http://effectsofbullying.net/how-to-stop-bullying-in-the-community/

Laramie County School District One in Cheyenne says a survey conducted earlier this year found that 26 percent of girls and 23 percent of boys say they were bullied two-to-three times a month.  The figures exceed the national average. 

More than 5-thousand students in grades three-through-eight participated in the survey that is part of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program that the district is using.  The results are being used as a baseline as the school district begins new strategies to address bullying. 

Todd Burns is coordinating the district’s effort.  While the bullying results seem high, he does note that the survey came on the heels of a couple of high-profile events in the school district that many attributed to bullying.

“Part of that thinking is that because we’re thinking is that because of the conversations going on in the community at that time is that they were very sensitive to issues of bullying.”

Burns also notes that the three most common forms of bullying in the district are done either verbally, by excluding students, or by spreading rumors. 

Burns says the next step is to train all personnel from teachers to janitors on how to identify bullying and what to do about it.

“If they see bullying occurring we want any staff member to put a stop to it through an on the spot intervention.  And then followup with that either with the child’s classroom teacher or homeroom teacher, whichever it would be.  But to really let students and staff know that every one of us has a part in this.”

Burns says they will begin staff trainings Friday (Today). 

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