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October is Bullying Awareness Month

Pete Strom

South Carolina Personal Injury Lawyers

Promoting Awareness About Bullying

There have been several stories in the news recently regarding victims of bullying in schools across our nation. From CNN to the Today Show to Dr. Phil, it seems that everywhere you turn, there is a story about a victim who has been bullied by his or her fellow classmates.

Several prominent names across the state are now trying to make a difference regarding bullying victims in our state.  Governor Nikki Haley, USC head coach Steve Spurrier and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, along with other state celebrities, have released a video telling students that “cool kids don’t bully.”

The video includes messages from Miss South Carolina USA Courtney Turner and Miss Teen South Carolina USA Keyla Childs.

Governor Haley is touring schools across the state in October as part of Bullying Prevention Month. She has said in the past it is a message she will continue to speak about.

“We started to hear a trend that kids in schools were having problems — if you looked different or if you sounded different … that other kids were giving them physical harm or emotional harm,” Haley said. “South Carolina should be a safe state. Every student should feel safe going to school.”

Haley says she wants students to know it is all right to ask for someone’s help if you’re being bullied.  She wants to get the message out there that bullies that harassing other students is wrong.

What is Bullying?

 

The Safe and Responsible Schools Project states:

A student is being bullied or victimized when exposed, repeatedly over time, to intentional injury or discomfort inflicted by one or more other students.

This may include:

  •  physical contact,
  • verbal assault,
  • making obscene gestures or facial expressions, and
  • being intentionally excluded.

 

Bullying implies an imbalance in power or strength in which one child is victimized by othersStatistics indicate that nearly 20% of students in the United States report they were a victim of being bullied.  Shockingly, teachers reportedly only intervene in 4% of bullying incidents.

Bullying Victim Lawsuits

 
With the number of bullying incidents in schools rising, the question becomes: what is the school’s role and responsibility in preventing student bullying? Further, what is the school’s liability if a student is injured by another student or commits suicide as a result of the bullying?
My next article will look further into these lawsuits in an effort to decipher whathe school’s responsibility is (if any) with regard to bullying victims. Until then, I’d like to know your thoughts.
 

At Strom Law Firm, LLC, our attorneys provide comprehensive legal services designed to protect your rights and your interests. Contact us today to arrange a free case review. Our lawyers are licensed in South Carolina, New York, and Georgia.

By: South Carolina Personal Injury Lawyer Pete Strom