After a summer full of fun and relaxation, there are only a few students who actually look forward to the start of school this fall. For some, though, the dread of starting school goes beyond the dislike of getting up early and having homework. The dread, in essence, is fear: the fear of staring into the cold eyes of a bully near the lockers, of having lunch money stolen each day, of public humiliation or even physical harm at the hands of a harassing intimidator.

“Bullying takes many forms. Although many forms have a physical threat involved, bullying quite often does not manifest itself in actual physical harm,” said Kenton County Attorney Garry Edmondson, whose office handles juvenile matters in family court. “However, regardless of the form, bullying can be devastating to the victim, as we’ve seen in reports of bullied children who either kill themselves or kill or harm those who torment them.”

A new law, commonly referred to as the Anti-Bullying Law, was passed by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Steve Beshear this past April. The law, which updates various sections of KRS 158, requires all Kentucky school districts to develop and maintain behavior policies to deal with harassment and other forms of intimidation, such as:

• Physical assaults;

• Attempted physical assaults;

• Offensive utterances, gestures, displays or abusive language directed toward a person in a public place;

• Following a person in or around public places;

• Acts that cause alarm or seriously annoy another person, but serve no legitimate purpose;

• Damage to or theft of student property while at school, at a school-sponsored event or on school-sponsored transportation;

• Substantial disruptions in school;

• Creating a hostile environment at school, on school-sponsored transportation, or at a school-sponsored event that would cause another student to suffer fear of physical harm, intimidation, humiliation or embarrassment; and

• Any electronic or written communication between students that would cause one student to suffer fear of physical harm, intimidation, humiliation, or embarrassment.

In addition, the law requires school employees and board of education members to report immediately to the principal any felony assaults committed by a student while on school premises, either on school-sponsored transportation or at a school-sponsored event. The principal, in turn, must report the incident to the parents/guardians, the local school board, and either the local police, the Kentucky State Police, or the county attorney.

Under the law, school districts must more closely document incidents of harassment/bullying as well.

Edmondson said bullying is a serious problem not only for the victims, but also for society as a whole. A report from Fight Crime: Invest in Kids shows that 60 percent of children who were bullies in grades 6 through 9 commit a crime before the age of 24.

              Edmondson said bullying is found in every school regardless of size, but it may not readily be recognized by parents and teachers.

              Experts agree that bullying should be taken seriously, and adults should be on the lookout for signs that may indicate a child is being bullied, which can include:

• Visible bruises or injuries

• Anxious behavior

• Lack of appetite

• Sleep loss

• Withdrawal

• Avoiding certain situations, such as riding the bus

“The bullied child needs assistance from an adult to help get through this difficult time,” Edmondson said. “Adults should be sensitive and take the child’s feelings seriously.”

Most experts recommend the following steps to stop or deter a bully:

• Avoid the bully and use the buddy system.

• Don’t show anger or fear. Bullies thrive on anger and fear. Simply ignore the bully and walk away.

• Tell an adult.

• Remove the incentives. If a bully is demanding lunch money, the victim should start bringing their lunch to school. If the bully is seeking other gadgets, such as a music player, those should be left at home as well.

• Encourage children to get together with friends who help build their self-esteem, join a club or even take self-defense classes.

“Any effort invested in preventing bullying now will pay huge dividends in the form of more confident children, safer schools, and a better society as a whole,” said Edmondson.