By Meghan McCormick

Transcript Staff Writer

Kim Woods’ 14-year-old daughter is a sixth grade student at a Norman middle school and a victim of a bully, according to the mother.

Woods said her daughter was allegedly threatened by a male classmate two weeks ago and that the accused boy admitted to making the threat.

Woods said she spoke with the principal who told her the student was going to be punished for making the accused threat toward her daughter.

“The principal promised me that she wasn’t going to be seeing him for a while,” she said.

Woods said she was surprised when her daughter called her the next day from school and told her the boy was in class.

“I don’t think he was fairly punished,” Woods said. “It doesn’t seem like the punishment fit the crime.”

She said she kept her daughter home from school for two days following the incident. The mother considered transferring the teenager to another site, but the teen didn’t want to leave her friends.

Woods said since her daughter has returned to school, but the situation hasn’t changed much.

“She watches her back for him all the time,” the woman said.

Woods said the principal told her daughter if there were any more problems, to alert the principal. But the girl doesn’t feel that anything will be done to stop the bullying.

Norman Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Joe Siano said the incident was investigated. The principal spoke with both students and those who witnessed what transpired between both parties.

Siano said the principal also held a conference with the student accused of making the threat and his parents. The student was punished for his actions, Siano said.

The superintendent said by law, he is not able to reveal the punishment.

Siano said school officials are responsible for investigating all reported cases of bullying.

“Where there are cases of bullying, we intervene,” Siano said.

He said the punishment varies with each case.

“The act of bullying and the issues relating to bullying should not be tolerated,” he said. “There should be serious ramifications to those matters.”

Siano said children should be welcomed to school in a safe, positive environment where they can learn. Students who interrupt that atmosphere should know their behavior won’t be tolerated.

He said principals and teachers at each school site intervene on a regular basis when they feel it’s necessary.

Siano said there are intervention programs that focus on the negative impacts in schools and are in place for students.

“For instance, Rachel’s Challenge,” Siano said. “Those types of programs and those type of efforts bring to light the impact bullying has on students and the education environment.”

In September, all NPS secondary school will implement Rachel’s Challenge, a program that was named after Rachel Scott who was killed April 20, 1999, in the Columbine High School massacre in Littleton, Colo. Darrell Scott founded the non-profit organization in 2001 in honor of his late daughter to carry on her wish to begin a chain reaction of kindness and good deeds.

Sharon Heatly, NPS director of guidance and counseling, said children develop this particular type of aggressive behavior and continue with it because they feel a sense of empowerment over others.

“Bullying has always been around but it seems for a variety of reasons we are seeing more bullying behavior. As educators and adults, we are more aware of bullying behavior,” she said.

Heatly said children who are teased by classmates and bullied do suffer.

“It definitely affects how they feel about themselves,” Heatly said.

She said students may possess low self-esteem and might become truant because they don’t want to face the person or group of people who torment them. Also, children can become overdependent on adult figures.

Heatly said the behavior has the possibility of continuing into adulthood.

“If they don’t receive attention or counseling, it can transcend,” Heatly said. “Sometimes students that are bullied end up growing up to demonstrate the same type of behavior and bully others.”

Heatly stressed that doesn’t happen in all instances.

She said NPS has incorporated the “Second Step” violent prevention program that is in place in pre-k through middle school classes. The curriculum addresses demeanor associated with bullying.

Heatly said it was developed based on the concepts from Dr. Dan Olweus who has spent his career researching bullying.

“Bullying happens when someone with more power unfairly hurts someone with less power over and over again. The power may be physical strength, social skills, verbal ability or another resource,” Heatly said according to Olweus’ definition. “Most of the bullying research has been developed by Dr. Dan Olweus. He has some long term research on bullying and is the framework of curriculum that is used.”

Heatly said “Second Step” is based on empathy, and is integrated in NPS in different ways.

“You have to understand how your actions affect others,” she said.

The program teaches children how to control impulses and deal with anger, Heatly said. So far, it has proved successful in Norman Public Schools. It reaches students as they progress through different development levels.

Heatly said children need to be surrounded by positive role models so they don’t fall victim to hostile influences.

“They need to be able to take skills and know what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior,” she said.

Heatly added that children learn by watching another’s actions.

Adults who suspect a child is being harassed by a classmate should look for changes in behavior or patterns. Heatly said. Signs also include pulling back from school activities, spending more time alone in their bedroom and trouble sleeping.

“One of the most important things to do is try to be sensitive to their child,” she said. “Just being there helps. You never know when that right opportunity will come when they will open up.”

Heatly said it’s crucial to keep the lines of communication open. If a parent is worried about their child’s change in attitude, he or she is welcome to contact a teacher, principal or counselor at the school.