| 5/9/2005 3:00:00 PM | Email this article • Print this article | Bullying on community forum agenda
Peggy Vlerebome
Courier Staff Writer
Bullying will be the topic at a Madison Human Relations Commission forum Thursday evening. It is free and open to the public.
Panelists will include representatives of the Madison, Prince of Peace and Southwestern schools; the mental health field; and the Youth Shelter. After each gives a short presentation, there will be questions and discussion, said commission member Bob Pimlott, who will moderate.
The forum will be at 7 p.m. in the council chamber at Madison City Hall.
Pimlott said no event prompted scheduling the forum, though it comes on the heels of a letter threatening Madison Junior High School students being found on a student’s home computer.
Rather, he said, the commission had not addressed bullying in a forum, and the General Assembly just passed a law requiring all schools in Indiana to have a safe-school committee and to include bullying in their written school safety plans.
Legislators added the bullying provisions to the school safety law. It defines bullying as “overt, repeated acts or gestures, including verbal or written communications transmitted; physical acts committed; or any other behaviors committed by a student or group of students against another student with the intent to harass, ridicule, humiliate, intimidate or harm the other student.”
The new law requires school boards to adopt rules prohibiting bullying and to include provisions for education about bullying, parental involvement, reporting and investigation of bullying and intervention. A student can be disciplined for bullying if it occurs on school grounds, away from school at activities or events; during travel to and from events; or when school-owned property or equipment is being used.
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