Awareness and prevention of bullying at Warren Township High School were among topics covered this year before the opening of school.

Student services staff Carole Burke, Gail Triveline, Matt Zarnstorff and Patti Long presented a program to certified and non-certified employees during institute days that included results of a summer school survey on bullying and what staff can do to thwart one student from bullying another. Also, they enlisted speech/theater students Adam Germann, Miguel Torres, Trey Caldwell, Melanie Bacaling, David Nevolo, Jon Sokolow, Liz Dana, Samantha Satcger and Jamie Gray to create skits about bullying situations and how they believe the situation should be handled.

Mr. Zarnstorff, a guidance counselor at Warren, pointed out that an American Medical Association study indicates 30 percent of the students have been bullied or were bullies at some point during their schooling. While bullying tends to peak in middle school, the high school students are better at hiding it, he said, adding that school size and socioeconomics have little to do with the number of incidents.

“A lot of times (particularly through e-mail and social networking web sites) the bullying starts away from school, but the results end up on our doorstep,” Mr. Zarnstorff said.

Ms. Burke, a social worker at Warren, presented the findings of a summer school student survey that indicates 77 percent of the 350 students who responded were aware of bullying, but 62 percent said they ignored it, watched, or did not tell anyone. Of those who responded to the survey, 82 percent said teachers respond when they see bullying occur. The survey numbers indicate that about 4 percent of the students who attend Warren are bullied daily, she said.

Ms. Long, also a Warren social worker, said recommendations to staff include being visible in the hallways when students are there, acknowledging the hunches you have about a student being bullied and discussing bullying during class time. 

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Mary Perry Bates said students want the adults to do something. “They’re all our kids. What can we do to make school a safe place for all of our kids?”