 to 8.8 percent of the entire student population, and gay students experienced depression at four to five times the rate of students in general.
One PFLAG mom described how her older daughter, who had come out as a lesbian in high school, eventually became a stronger, more assertive person and avoided being bullied, but two younger siblings were consequently taunted and bullied.
Zero tolerance policies have been effective when implemented in schools, Mulrine said. "But teachers often ignore, rationalize, or refuse to report a student out of fear of retaliation, fear of administration, or fear of his or her own safety," Mulrine explained.
Springfield's School District 186 has a zero tolerance policy toward bullying. "We don't tolerate it," said spokesperson Carol Votsmier. "If a person is a victim, we take a report." District 186's policy states that all reports of bullying will be taken seriously and that all reports will be thoroughly investigated. It also says that the administration will "intervene in bullying behaviors and strictly enforce rules against bullying."
Yet the audience at last week's meeting seemed to believe that school administrators don't take the problem seriously. One parent worried that since the Student Assistance Program--a counseling program--was eliminated from District 186 schools, there is no sympathetic person to go to with a harassment problem. SAP was dropped in junior high and high schools as part of last year's budget cuts. But that program is the first one principals in the district want reinstated if funds are restored, according to Votsmier.
The audience for Mulrine's talk was small, approximately 20 people. PFLAG gave school officials flyers for the event, but one PFLAG member wondered whether they were actually distributed to students. "We have found that if we give flyers to students, the flyers don't make it home, so we make them available at each school but we don't distribute them," Votsmier replied.
Mulrine is teaching a class on school violence this summer at the University of Illinois at Springfield. He can be reached at email@example.com. Mulrine encouraged parents, students, and teachers to consult Web sites, such as http://stopviolence.com/hate/ lbgt.htm, http://www.successunlimited.co.uk/bullycide/index.htm, and http://www.bullystoppers.com/bullying_help_for_students.htm.
A "Youth Summit," sponsored by Unity for Our Community and the Springfield Department of Community Relations, will tackle the topics of violence and peer pressure this Thursday, May 1, at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers of the Springfield Municipal Building, Seventh and Monroe.