New Bullying Law Takes Effect

Passing this along from the Times-Daily. Every parent and educator should be aware of this!

Bully law takes effect

By Lisa Singleton-Rickman
Staff Writer

Published: Thursday, September 17, 2009 at 3:30 a.m.

Alabama is among the most recent of 44 states to pass an anti-bullying law, which will go into effect Oct. 1.

Until now, there haven't been any legal repercussions from bullying and it's an issue the state has long needed to address, said longtime educator Lisa Moses, of Florence, who said bullying is one area addressed in another new piece of legislation known as Taylor's Law. Under that law, a student's behavior at school, including bullying, can delay the student from acquiring a driver's license.

"Bullying has too long been ignored on the school level and has somewhat been accepted with a 'boys will be boys' attitude," Moses said. "Kids need to be able to report these things anonymously, but they don't trust that it will be kept quiet and they're scared."

Moses said schools have a duty to see that bullies get the help they need to change their behavior.

"Research shows that bullies have a much higher risk of having a criminal record," she said. "We're just as responsible for helping those kids."

In 2007, nearly a third of students ages 12 to 18 reported having been bullied during the school year, according to data on more than 55 million students compiled annually by the National Center for Education Statistics.

That's up from as few as 1 in 10 students in the '90s, though bullying experts point out the rising numbers may reflect more reports of bullying, not necessarily more incidents.

Of the states that expressly ban bullying - primarily prompted by a rash of school shootings beginning in the late 1990's - few measures have identified children who excessively pick on their peers. And few offer any method for ensuring anti-bullying policies are enforced, according to the National Council of State Legislatures.

The issue came to a head in April when 11-year-old Jaheem Herrera committed suicide at his Atlanta-area home after his parents say he was repeatedly tormented in school. District officials denied it, and an independent review found bullying wasn't a factor, a conclusion his family rejects.

Regardless, Georgia's law, among the toughest in the nation, still would not have applied: It only applies to students in grades sixth to 12th. Herrera was a fifth-grader.

Alabama's law covers grades pre-kindergarten through 12th. The sponsor of the bill, State Rep. Betty Carol Graham, D-Alexander City, said the new Alabama law was three years in the making and grew out of the rise in suicides among youth in the state and nation.

"Home and school should be the two safest places in the world for children, and Alabama didn't have a policy in place to assure that in schools," Graham said. "Not only is that unbelievable, it's unforgiveable."

Graham said there could be more legislation added to the law in the future. "I'm not bowing out of the process now that the law is passed. This Legislature will stand ready to make any changes or additions as needed. We believe in it that much."

Florence Middle School Principal Bill Griffin has been a proponent of anti-bullying policies for years. He said the intimidation factor is key to bullies being successful. Teaching students to speak up for themselves and tell someone in authority about incidences of bullying is the hard part.

"The most important word in a bully's vocabulary is 'snitch' and he or she operates strictly by that student's silence," Griffin said. "We have to empower other students, too, to speak up on behalf of those being bullied, to come and tell us.

"Yes, we have an obligation as educators to be vigilant and watch for bullying, but we have to get students to talk to us. Communication is key."

After Herrera's death in Georgia, other parents came forward to say their children had been bullied and that school officials did nothing with the complaints, rendering the state's law useless.

"There is a systematic problem," said Mike Wilson, who said his 12-year-old daughter was bullied for two years in the same school district where Herrera died. "The lower level employees, the teachers, the principals, are trying to keep this information suppressed."

Only six states - Montana, Hawaii, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, North Dakota and South Dakota - and the District of Columbia lack specific laws targeting school bullying, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Most states require school districts to adopt open-ended policies to prohibit bullying and harassment.

"The states themselves can't micromanage a school district - but they can say to a school district, 'Look, you have to have consequences,' " said Brenda High, whose Web site, Bully Police USA, tracks anti-bullying laws across the nation and who advocates for strict repercussions for bullies. The Washington state-based advocate's son, Jared, was 13 when he committed suicide in 1998 after complaining of bullying.

"It needs to be written into the law that bullying has the same consequences as assault," she said. "The records and such need to be kept so that if the child is a chronic bully, they - after so many instances - will end up in an alternative school."

Lisa Singleton-Rickman can be reached at 740-5735 or lisa.singleton-rickman@TimesDaily.com

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Teen "Horror"-mones or Something More Serious?

There is little doubt that the stereotype of the adolescent monster holds some truth. Parents shrink in fear of this hostile, moody, defiant creature their once angelic child has turned into. It doesn't help that teens seem to have an invisible switch they can turn on and off at the slightest whim. Hormonal changes in the adolescent years can often cause a temperamental nature not seen in a bubbly tween. Comparisons with other teens if often not effective. Like snowflakes, no two teens are alike. Additionally, the severity of acting out is a constant continuum. Is a child sullen or genuinely unhappy? If you can even get your teen to talk, are they revealing their deep and darkest secrets? Are you still missing something? These questions can cause severe doubt and worry in even the most seasoned parent. Parents will often wonder when a Jekyll and Hyde routine crosses the line into something needing serious intervention.

Parents should be aware that there are normal growing pains during adolescence, however, they should also remain cognizant that many mood disorders (such as bi-polar disorder) often develop during adolescence and are frequently misdiagnosed because of the belief that all teens are “moody”.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 9.0% of adolescents aged 12 to 17 (an estimated 2.2 million adolescents) experienced at least one major depressive episode in the past year. Those with a family history of mood disorders can show symptoms of the more serious condition of Major Depressive Disorder (or “clinical depression), but it may often be explained away as typical teen angst. Those adolescents who are moody or irritable and also exhibit signs of academic failure and risk taking behaviors are especially vulnerable.

Behavioral symptoms can often overlap with other disorders like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The overlap of these two disorders is estimated to be at least 15 %. A child may experience difficulty paying attention, be hyperactive, irritable or explosive, and having acting out behaviors. Even if they are being treated with ADHD medication, they can still experience erratic moods and behaviors Often times, their moods will fluctuate between hopelessness and elation, leading to impulsive behaviors and clouded judgment. It can be especially overwhelming for a teen when they experience these feelings concurrently.

Cases such as these should be evaluated by a therapist, adolescent psychiatrist or pediatrician immediately. Without a proper and accurate diagnosis, treatment cannot begin. There are a number of effective interventions and medications which can help to stabilize moods and bring children back to optimum functioning.

Left untreated, these adolescents are at a particularity high risk for academic failure, alcohol and drug abuse, risky behaviors, and suicidality. Suicide continues to be in the top three causes of death among adolescents.

By the time our children reach their teen years, parents have a good idea of who they are, what they are good at, and where they are vulnerable. Some moodiness during adolescence can be expected, but marked personality changes should alert parents of possible problems. Changes in their ability to take pleasure in activities, inability to sleep, decreased or extremely heightened energy levels, and rage inappropriate to the stimulus may all be signs of depression. And of course signs of failure in their own world, such as withdrawal from peer group activities, absenteeism, and behavior problems are all red flags that should not be overlooked.

A little bit of health with your mental health!

I know a lot of parents have concerns over H1N1 and the flu season this year, and it certainly seems like plenty of Bayside families have already been affected. Here are some tips from the New York Times:

September 8, 2009

Preparing for a Stressful Flu Season

By TARA PARKER-POPE

A few weekends ago, a mother I know called to ask about swine flu after her daughter complained of breathing trouble and other worrisome symptoms. Fortunately, my friend quickly reached her pediatrician, who reassured her about the child’s condition.

But the conversation made me realize just how stressful this flu season is going to be for parents. Every sniffle and every cough is going to be scrutinized, awakening fears of the ominously named swine flu virus. How do you know when to relax? How do you know when to call the doctor?

Here are some answers to questions that will arise during what experts predict will be a very busy flu season:

How worried should we be?

When this new strain of H1N1 influenza emerged last spring, experts feared that it might follow the pattern of the 1918 flu, the world’s deadliest epidemic. That strain also showed up as a relatively mild spring virus but re-emerged in a more virulent form in the fall.

The new strain of H1N1 is not following that pattern. While it has accounted for about 90 percent of the flu virus circulating in the Southern Hemisphere, the strain is behaving a lot like seasonal flu, said Dr. Neil O. Fishman, an infectious-disease specialist at the University of Pennsylvania.

“There is a sigh of relief that the virus hasn’t mutated,” Dr. Fishman told me. “Fortunately, the swine flu that we’re seeing still is a moderate disease that is behaving very much like ordinary seasonal influenza.”

That said, Dr. Fishman noted that the virus was unpredictable and could still mutate. So people need to be vigilant about washing their hands, and if they develop symptoms they need to stay home.

And “ordinary” flu is not to be taken lightly. Each year in the United States, about 200,000 people are hospitalized with severe flu symptoms, and 36,000 die.

Are children at higher risk for swine flu?

A main difference between swine flu and seasonal flu is that people over 60 appear to have some immunity to swine flu, while younger people seem not to. And because children and young adults are more likely to gather in groups — at school and colleges — they are more vulnerable to catching all types of flu. So while the disease does not appear to be more severe than seasonal flu, a disproportionate number of young people will probably get it.

As with seasonal flu, some people will get very sick and some of them will die. Federal health officials report that at least 36 children in the United States have died of swine flu; most had nervous system disorders like cerebral palsy or developmental delays. Some, however, had been healthy; they died of bacterial infections that set in after the flu. Doctors speculate that children with nerve and muscle disorders can’t cough hard enough to clear the airways, putting them at higher risk for complications.

Each year seasonal flu kills 50 to 100 children, and it’s too soon to know whether swine flu will turn out to be more deadly. Up to 40 percent of children contract regular seasonal flu, said Dr. Nathan Litman, director of pediatric infectious diseases at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in New York City, who added, “We almost expect that as soon as school is open we’ll start seeing increased numbers.”

When will the swine flu vaccine be available? Will there be enough to go around?

The federal government has ordered 195 million doses of vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends it for health care workers, children and young adults ages 6 months to 24 years, pregnant women and people caring for an infant younger than 6 months.

While there will be enough vaccine to cover the recommended groups, the timing will vary. The vaccine is undergoing clinical trials, and the first 40 million doses or so should be available by Oct. 15. Thirty million more will be delivered by the end of October, and new batches each week after that.

The vaccine may require a second dose three weeks after the first, and it may take another two weeks for the body to build up full immunity, the C.D.C. says. That means those who receive flu shots in mid-October won’t be fully protected until late November.

How do I get a swine flu shot?

The government will distribute the vaccine through state health departments, which will send it to local health departments and doctors’ offices. Check with your family doctor to find out when it will be available.

What about the severe complications that followed the last swine flu shots, given in 1976?

In 1976, a swine flu vaccine was associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome (pronounced ghee-YAN bah-RAY), in which the body damages its own nerve cells, causing weakness and sometimes paralysis. The reasons are unclear; some studies found no link. Another study suggested that one person in every one million vaccinated for seasonal flu might be at risk for Guillain-Barré.

In 1976, however, techniques for rapidly making vaccine were much less sophisticated than they are now. And Dr. Fishman noted that existing flu vaccines contain components of the H1N1 virus, so “I do not consider this a new vaccine — the vaccine is being made the same way that every influenza vaccine is made.”

What are the symptoms of swine flu? When does it become an emergency?

In children, the warning signs include fast or troubled breathing, bluish or gray skin, and persistent or severe vomiting. If a child isn’t drinking enough fluids, is unusually hard to wake up, is not interacting or is so irritable that he or she doesn’t want to be held, you should call your doctor.

Adults with severe symptoms may also complain about pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness and confusion.

Children with underlying neurological problems should be quickly seen by a doctor if they run a fever. In otherwise healthy children, the main warning sign is that the child seems to feel better, then appears to relapse with a high fever. This signals a bacterial infection that must be treated with antibiotics. Even though such infections are seldom severe, the child should be seen by a pediatrician as quickly as possible.

Should I bother getting a seasonal flu shot?

Yes. Seasonal flu is as much of a concern as it has always been. Given that swine flu shots won’t be available until late in the season, a regular shot will protect you and your family from the body aches, cough and misery of seasonal flu, and allow you to cross one worry from your list.

Join the discussion at nytimes.com/well.