At Capitol, advocates speak up for victims of bullying

Members of the House Common Education Committee reviewed efforts by legislators dating back more than a decade to address problems related to bullying in schools across Oklahoma. A challenge throughout that time, former House Speaker Steve Lewis said, has been simply trying to arrive at a precise definition of bullying.

Lawmakers also have struggled to provide specific guidelines for schools on how to address bullying that might range from persistent teasing to physical threats to cyberattacks that might affect children in different ways depending on their grade level. At least two bills on the topic have failed to pass, and one that advanced in 2022 was vetoed by the governor, who expressed that it wasn’t detailed enough to be effective.

Lewis said it’s important for people to appreciate the severity of the problem, which has resulted in numerous Oklahoma children taking their own lives.

According to the American Psychological Association, at least 40% and perhaps as many as 80% of children experience bullying in schools, and perhaps as many as 15% are constantly bullied. It’s difficult to be precise with the figures because many kids endure bullying and never report it.

“Whether you look at the minimum or the maximum, that’s a lot of kids,” Lewis said. “I know it’s a difficult issue, but you lose kids if you don’t get it right, and I’m not sure that we’ve got it right yet as a state.”

Lewis advised lawmakers on the House Common Education Committee that they should consider stronger collaboration with people in Oklahoma’s education community as they consider crafting new legislation in the coming year.

Others who offered input for the interim study held at the Capitol included counselors and other education professionals from Mustang and Norman. Lawmakers who organized the study were Reps. Daniel Pae, R-Lawton; Jacob Rosecrants, D-Norman; and Brian Hill, R-Mustang.

Hill said he wanted the study to be a positive “starting place” in response to the suicide death of Jot Turner, a Mustang High School student who was bullied through social media.

The lawmakers also heard from Melissa and Ben McAllister, who have been active in the anti-bullying organization Heroes in Waiting after losing their son, Hayden, to suicide.

“I just hope that you guys can come up with something that really addresses (this) in a loving way and a gracious way, but also with a lot of grit,” Melissa McAllister said. “We need to be Oklahoma strong for these kids.”

Cody Kaiser, a licensed professional counselor in Mustang, suggested to lawmakers that there’s a serious need for more counselors in schools. The American School Counselor Association recommends a ratio of students to counselors of no more than 250-to-1, he said. In Oklahoma, the current ratio is 411-to-1.

Others, including Kitrena Hime, who is in charge of counseling and bullying prevention at Norman Public Schools, said students, their schools and communities benefit from programs designed to discourage bullying and address incidents quickly if they should occur. On that front, she said it’s important to support focused training of educators at all levels. School sites in her district have “bullying prevention leads” in place, she said, and efforts also are made to ensure accountability when schools are called upon to help kids who struggle with being bullied.

Another professional, Heather Wiggins, the director of student assistance at Mustang Public Schools, agreed that it’s important to support, and fund, a multifaceted approach to combating bullying.

“We know that a child’s mental health is just as important as their physical health, and if your mental health is not in a good state, it doesn’t matter what else is going on, you cannot be successful,” Wiggins said. “You can call it whatever you want, but at the end of the day we are all charged with taking care of our children, and taking care of our children is taking care of our future.”

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