Middle School Students Report Less Bullying

Fewer public middle-school students throughout the state last year said they were bullied at school compared to 2015, according to the Hawaii School Health Survey, while reports of bullying of high school students have remained about the same.

The survey, which included more than 16,300 students at public middle and high schools, is a joint project of the state Department of Education and Department of Health as well as the University of Hawaii. The survey, conducted every other year, looks at various factors such as mental health, injuries and violence and physical activity.

Of the middle school students surveyed in 2017, 40 percent reported ever being bullied on school property, down about five percentage points from 2015, and 22.6 percent reported ever being electronically bullied, a drop of two and a half percentage points from 2015.

The number of middle school students who said they had ever electronically bulled someone stood at 10.9 percent, down from 15.7 percent in 2015.

Reports of bullying in high school though remain similar between 2015 and 2017. In 2017, 14.6 percent of students reported having been bullied electronically in the previous 12 months and 18.4 percent of students reported being bullied on school property.

Last month, the state’s Board of Education approved for public review updates to the student misconduct and discipline code, which include elevating bullying and cyberbullying to the most serious category of offenses.

Community engagement sessions are scheduled for this month and December throughout the state to review the proposed changes. The West Hawaii meeting is scheduled for Nov. 29 from 5-7 p.m. at the Kealakehe High School cafeteria in Kailua-Kona.