SCITUATE — School officials acknowledged Monday that family survey responses revealed broader concerns about bullying than formal district reporting alone suggests.
Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch presented findings from a district bullying prevention and intervention task force during the May 4 School Committee meeting. The group spent several months reviewing state data, district surveys and student feedback while updating the district’s bullying prevention plan.
The district reported relatively low numbers of formally substantiated bullying cases in state reporting data. But survey responses from families painted a more complicated picture.
“We know and acknowledge that the impacts are serious and lasting, and we need to try to make that number do everything we can to make it zero,” Lynch said.
The district collected 524 family survey responses and 216 staff responses as part of the review process. Lynch said many families reported bullying-related experiences that may not have resulted in formal bullying findings.
Committee member Peter Gates said the survey results demonstrated a larger issue facing the district.
“We do have a bullying problem in Scituate,” Gates said.
Lynch said the task force recognized a significant communication gap between the district’s investigative process and how families perceive outcomes after incidents are reported.
“We need to commit ourselves to communicating better so that families feel like if something doesn't go well for their student, that they feel like it's being addressed,” Lynch said.
The task force included principals, school counselors, parents, police officers and district administrators. The group met four times beginning in December to review data and recommend updates to district practices.
The proposed updates include increased anti-bullying training, more frequent data reviews, stronger communication with families and expanded efforts focused on prevention instead of only incident reporting.
Lynch said the district also plans to increase visibility around bullying prevention language and social-emotional learning practices in schools.
“A lot of time is often spent like, make sure there's a place on the website where somebody can click,” Lynch said. “But so is being proactive and having students learn strategies for effective responses.”
School leaders also discussed improving continuity when students move between schools, especially after bullying incidents have occurred. Lynch said the district wants stronger transition planning and more individualized support for students who have been targeted or involved in aggressive behavior.
The committee also discussed the role of social-emotional learning curriculum, including the district’s use of the Character Strong program, and whether students consistently receive instruction across grade levels.
The district will open a public comment period before the committee votes on the updated bullying prevention and intervention plan later this spring.
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