Catherine
2007-06-16 15:56:28 UTC
http://nwherald.com/articles/2007/06/16/news/local/doc4668bd20de17b781063116.txt
Bullying: One boys story
By JILLIAN COMPTON
Northwest Herald, McHenry County
It started with boyish teasing about Joey Slawinski not liking the rides in Wisconsin
Dells during a summer trip after seventh grade. Then in eighth grade, kids threw
food at him and bet each other on how many minutes of science class Slawinski would
miss taking insulin for his diabetes.
During ninth grade, Slawinski was pushed while testing his blood-sugar level in the
nurses office.
He had his pants pulled down twice once at a football game and once in the
hallway and his books pushed out of his hands too many times to count.
The only reason I [went] to school on a daily basis [was] to see the seniors who
graduated this year, said Slawinski, now 15, adding that most of his friends are
older or attend other high schools.
It led to the Spring Grove boy transferring schools this fall, because his mother,
Trish Golden, felt Richmond-Burton Community High School administrators did not do
enough to ensure Slawinskis safety.
Slawinskis struggles are just one example of an issue that increasingly is getting
attention statewide and across the country.
In a recent national survey of students in grades 6-10, 13 percent reported bullying
others, 11 percent reported being bullied, and 6 percent reported being both bullied
and a bully, according to the National Youth Violence Prevention Center.
An isolated case?
Illinois requires schools to have policies addressing bullying and students at risk
for aggressive behavior that include notifying parents and early intervention
procedures. State law also allows, but does not require, schools to include bullying
prevention instruction in all grades.
Golden feels that Richmond-Burton officials did not adequately address Slawinskis
problems.
Both my son and I feel that theres no leadership there, and he hasnt been
supported at all, Golden said, adding that the perpetrators should have received
escalating consequences.
School leaders say Slawinskis case is the only bullying complaint that theyve had
in recent years, but they declined to comment on or confirm the details of his
situation.
We have incidents of fighting here, yes we do, Richmond-Burton Principal Tom DuBois
said. In terms of complaints of bullying ... thats the only one I can think of.
Bullying is something we attempt to deal with through peer mediation. Sometimes we
are able to contact parents. Its not something we deal with often.
Golden sent administrators and School Board President Cindy Holtz e-mails in April to
initiate a grievance against administrators for not responding better to the
continuous bullying. Golden said school leaders did not respond to the grievance.
Holtz later said the district did not accept grievances through e-mail.
Persistent harassment
For Slawinski, the incidents built on each other.
Often, he just picked up his books and ignored the boys, Golden said. Other times,
he offered an angry retort.
Slawinski developed esophageal spasms due to stress during eighth grade and started
calling his mother from his cell telephone when he was being harassed this year. One
day in February, he called her six times.
He dropped out of track after a student told him not to join. He avoided the
graduation ceremony, because another student told him not to be there, Golden said.
Golden said she asked school officials and they complied to change her sons
locker and designate a teacher that he could talk with when the bullying escalated.
Administrators offered several times to do peer mediation, but Golden thought that
would only emphasize the perceived power difference between them.
My son is not going to sit in a room with four other kids who are doing this to
him, Golden said. My gut as a mom tells me No.
She said administrators also called the perpetrators parents, suspended one student
for four days in October for pulling her sons pants down, and had the school police
officer in February warn the offenders that further bullying could lead to criminal
prosecution.
The situation did not improve, Golden said. So, she decided to send her son to a
private school next fall, a move that he protested.
The way we view it is a silent exit, Golden said.
Bullying: One boys story
By JILLIAN COMPTON
Northwest Herald, McHenry County
It started with boyish teasing about Joey Slawinski not liking the rides in Wisconsin
Dells during a summer trip after seventh grade. Then in eighth grade, kids threw
food at him and bet each other on how many minutes of science class Slawinski would
miss taking insulin for his diabetes.
During ninth grade, Slawinski was pushed while testing his blood-sugar level in the
nurses office.
He had his pants pulled down twice once at a football game and once in the
hallway and his books pushed out of his hands too many times to count.
The only reason I [went] to school on a daily basis [was] to see the seniors who
graduated this year, said Slawinski, now 15, adding that most of his friends are
older or attend other high schools.
It led to the Spring Grove boy transferring schools this fall, because his mother,
Trish Golden, felt Richmond-Burton Community High School administrators did not do
enough to ensure Slawinskis safety.
Slawinskis struggles are just one example of an issue that increasingly is getting
attention statewide and across the country.
In a recent national survey of students in grades 6-10, 13 percent reported bullying
others, 11 percent reported being bullied, and 6 percent reported being both bullied
and a bully, according to the National Youth Violence Prevention Center.
An isolated case?
Illinois requires schools to have policies addressing bullying and students at risk
for aggressive behavior that include notifying parents and early intervention
procedures. State law also allows, but does not require, schools to include bullying
prevention instruction in all grades.
Golden feels that Richmond-Burton officials did not adequately address Slawinskis
problems.
Both my son and I feel that theres no leadership there, and he hasnt been
supported at all, Golden said, adding that the perpetrators should have received
escalating consequences.
School leaders say Slawinskis case is the only bullying complaint that theyve had
in recent years, but they declined to comment on or confirm the details of his
situation.
We have incidents of fighting here, yes we do, Richmond-Burton Principal Tom DuBois
said. In terms of complaints of bullying ... thats the only one I can think of.
Bullying is something we attempt to deal with through peer mediation. Sometimes we
are able to contact parents. Its not something we deal with often.
Golden sent administrators and School Board President Cindy Holtz e-mails in April to
initiate a grievance against administrators for not responding better to the
continuous bullying. Golden said school leaders did not respond to the grievance.
Holtz later said the district did not accept grievances through e-mail.
Persistent harassment
For Slawinski, the incidents built on each other.
Often, he just picked up his books and ignored the boys, Golden said. Other times,
he offered an angry retort.
Slawinski developed esophageal spasms due to stress during eighth grade and started
calling his mother from his cell telephone when he was being harassed this year. One
day in February, he called her six times.
He dropped out of track after a student told him not to join. He avoided the
graduation ceremony, because another student told him not to be there, Golden said.
Golden said she asked school officials and they complied to change her sons
locker and designate a teacher that he could talk with when the bullying escalated.
Administrators offered several times to do peer mediation, but Golden thought that
would only emphasize the perceived power difference between them.
My son is not going to sit in a room with four other kids who are doing this to
him, Golden said. My gut as a mom tells me No.
She said administrators also called the perpetrators parents, suspended one student
for four days in October for pulling her sons pants down, and had the school police
officer in February warn the offenders that further bullying could lead to criminal
prosecution.
The situation did not improve, Golden said. So, she decided to send her son to a
private school next fall, a move that he protested.
The way we view it is a silent exit, Golden said.