Coalition director believes bullying underreported in N.J.

In January 2011, New Jersey schools started combatting bullying as part of the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act.

Under the ABR, school districts have to publicly report incidents of harassment, intimidation and/or bullying (HIB), along with publishing a self-assessment of the progress their schools have made with complying with ABR requirements on their school website. The problem is that some feel the data is inaccurate and underreported.

“NJ has a ridiculous 'opt-in' law requiring signed parental consent for most meaningful surveying of students,” said Director of the NJ Coalition for Bullying Awareness and Prevention, Stuart Green. “As a result, most New Jersey school data is so flawed, incomplete and under-reported as to be reasonably considered fake.”

Under a 2002 New Jersey Statute, parents and/or guardians must approve, or “opt-in,” to any student survey by submitting an “Active Consent Form.” Because of this, Stuart feels New Jersey school data, including data related to HIB incidents, is inaccurate.

Violence and vandalism incidents, including HIB incidents, are recorded using the Electronic Violence and Vandalism Reporting System (EVVRS) by New Jersey schools. As part of the ABR, the data regarding HIB investigations, trainings and programs is recorded under the HIB-ITP system.

Stuart feels, however that data is inaccurate.

“On the EVVRS, the annual officially reported data indicates that about half of all New Jersey school districts have experienced only a few incidents of bullying and all other forms of peer violence in a year,” Stuart said. “As our coalition press releases have repeatedly pointed out, if this absurd assertion were actually true, New Jersey schools would be the most peaceful institutions humanity has ever created."

When looking at the New Jersey school districts in the StrausNews coverage areas for Sussex and Passaic counties, overall, school districts reported low numbers of HIB incidents for the 2014-15 school year. According to the commissioner's annual report on violence, vandalism and substance abuse in New Jersey public schools, 16 districts reported having less than five HIB incidents, with eight reported having no HIB incidents.

According to the commissioner's annual report on violence, vandalism and substance abuse in New Jersey public schools, the West Milford Township school district reported having no HIB incidents in the 2014-15 school year. However, according to West Milford Township Anti-Bullying Coordinator Ron Rowe, the number of 2014-15 HIB incidents listed on the NJBOE website is incorrect, because he knows there were HIB incidents last year.

As far as the school district’s HIB self-assessment, every school posted a grade of 70 out of 78 or above, except for West Milford High School, which scored a 49 out of 78, lower than all other schools in the New Jersey Straus News coverage area.

According to Rowe, there were inconsistencies with how the high school’s HIB program was organized and certain requirements were not in place.

“We had to be honest in our assessment of how that group performed, so that resulted in a low grade,” Rowe said. “However, to the high school’s credit, this year, they’ve learned from those mistakes. They’ve corrected the issues that existed last year and at this point, without question, are progressing well and moving in the right direction. And I anticipate that their self-assessment will be much higher and show a great level of improvement from last year.”

The Sussex-Wantage Regional school district reported having an increase of HIB incidents from nine last year to 31 this year, despite a decrease in enrollment.

The school district declined to comment.

Along with the requirement of recording and reporting HIB incidents and the school self-assessment grade report, schools were required to develop an anti-bullying policy that included the ABR requirements and was approved by the board of education. Parents and other groups were to be included when creating the anti-bullying policy, and once approved by the Board of Education, distributed among staff, administration, students and parents.

Under the ABR, schools also are required to implement anti-bullying prevention programs, including a required “Week of Respect.” Beginning with the first Monday in October of each year, school districts across New Jersey must focus on the importance of character education throughout the week, providing lessons on preventing bullying among the groups identified in the HIB definition and on bullying due to other characteristics.

Rowe said the week’s activities try to promote more positive relationships among students, showing a greater level of tolerance towards people, even if they might not be in your circle of friends so that the focus is on activities.

“We had a presentation that focuses on the idea of treating other people with respect and getting along with different people in a way that’s positive and productive,” Rowe said.

Despite the ABR, Stuart feels there is still much the NJ Department of Education failed to sufficiently regulate and enforce the law. Although schools are required to record and report data involving HIB incidents, investigations and anti-bullying programs, there are no consequences from the state compelling schools to improve.

“Even though the law has done a good job in empowering vulnerable and hurt children and their parents, and raising community expectations that schools should do more to prevent and address violence, the law lacks any meaningful consequences for educators who fail to perform this basic and essential part of their job,” he said.