By Frank Mustac, Contributor
Out of the 28 investigations into incidents of harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB) at Hopewell Valley schools for the 2015-16 academic year, 10 cases were confirmed, according to Anthony Suozzo, the district human resources director.
During a recent Hopewell Valley Regional School District Board of Education meeting, Mr. Suozzo said there were 13 incidents of harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB) reported during the 2015-16 school year, of which yet only one was confirmed.
The statistics are part of a semiannual report the state Department of Education requires on incidents of HIB, as well as those involving violence, vandalism and substance abuse.
Two incidents involving a weapon were investigated during 2015-16, which showed an increase from just one incident involving a weapon reported the previous year.
The pair of weapon incidents occurred at the high school, Mr. Suozzo said.
“Both incidents included students bringing a pocket knife to school,” he said. “There weren’t any threats involved or anything along those lines. However, we still have a board policy in that area if something like that is found on school premises.”
Of the 10 confirmed cases of HIB, seven “actually started with incidents outside of school and eventually came in the schools,” Mr. Suozzo said.
“With the anti-bullying law, if there is an incident outside of school that comes in and causes a disruption within a school building, that is something that we are required by law to investigate,” he said.“Also, five out of the 10 that were confirmed involved social media outside of school. So things like Instagram and Snapchat led to conflicts with students and eventually on our doorstep to where we had to investigate.”
The recent trend of social media playing a role in real-world HIB investigations often shows both parties engaged in a war of words before things spill over to the schools, he said.
“Even with the remaining 18 that were not confirmed, there were several that dealt with social media things, and often times when investigated it was found that it was mutual and kind of going back and forth and more of a conflict,” Mr. Suozzo said.“But I think it’s important to note the type of issues that we’re seeing in this area are not being done with Chromebooks or any of the devices that are administered or provided by the school district. They are being done on things like call phones.”
Actions taken as a result of all confirmed HIB incidents and others involving violence, vandalism or substance abuse, include nine in-school suspensions issued, as well as 14 out-of-school suspensions.
The school district also issued 24 “other disciplinary” actions, described by Mr. Suozzo as “after-school detention, Wednesday extended detention or even a Saturday suspension.”
Most suspensions were issued as a result of confirmed incidents that took place at the high school. The second most suspensions were issued to students in the middle school.
Confirmed incidents involving substance abuse, weapons or vandalism all require suspension as governed in school board policy, Mr. Suozzo said.
