Anti-Harassment in Schools
Despite state law requiring public schools to have policies prohibiting harassment of students, incidents of intimidation and bullying have not declined. As a 2008 study of "Bullying in Washington Schools" by WSU's Social and Economic Sciences Research Center found, not enough has been done to address the problem. Most students and parents are unaware of anti-bullying policies, and many schools are not fully complying with the intent of the law.
We support legislation sponsored by Rep. Marko Liias that requires schools to develop procedures to implement their anti-harassment policies. Under the bill the Office of the Education Ombudsman (OEO) and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) would organize a work group to develop and help implement specific anti-harassment strategies. OEO would provide resources and tools about these strategies to students and their families, and OSPI would develop rules for schools to inform students, parents, and the community about anti-bullying policies.
