An Open Letter to Parents About Bullying

Recently, another Castle High School Special Needs Student was the victim of cyberbullying and as the father of a special needs student, I found this very disturbing. Special Needs kids are sometimes the easier ones to pick on for bullies, and they don't stop getting bullied just because the school bell has rung. A lot of children including ones with special needs are getting bullied and harrassed online and aren't saying anything to anyone about it including their parents.

As a father of four boys, I've always tried to closely monitor what my kids were doing online. Not only do I check what they are watching and reading but also what they are posting. But so many parents are worrying about if their child is being bullied but aren't making sure their child isn't the bully themselves.

In response to this latest incident, Warrick County School District's Superintendent Brad Schneider issued this statement -

"...Castle High School administration was made aware of a social media incident involving some of our students. The incident is being investigated using Indiana Department of Education Guidelines and Warrick County School Corporation Policies. Appropriate discipline has been issued to some students. As the investigation continues, other discipline could be necessary. Castle High School is committed to providing a bully-free, safe environment for all of our students.

I feel like we put too much pressure on teachers and the school system to raise and discipline our kids for us. And unless a student is caught PHYSICALLY bullying another student, there's really not much the school can do. So, I'm urging all parent of school age children, talk to your kids about bullying, and be aware of their online activities! Not only to make sure that they are not being bullied on or offline, but also to make sure they are not doing the bullying!