May 21, 2013
It's a problem facing school systems across our area... bullying.
"It is a crime. We work hand in hand with the superintendent's office as well as the schools in reference to bullying issues."
Gonzalez says bullies thrive in a school setting, making life difficult not only for the victim, but for family members, teachers, school officials, and even law enforcement.
"We do as much as we can as far as prevention and educating the children about bullying because you have it within the school system, the school, in the class, on Facebook, and on the bus."
School officials say they try to educate students about bullying at an early age and even put an anti-bullying policy in place to help the situation.
"Bullying has gotten so dangerous. So our policy is basically, if we even hear a rumor or if a student stops a teacher in the hall and says I think I'm being bullied, we stop right then, we report it, we put it in writing that we looked at the situation, create a file for it, the principal is notified, and we go from there."
And though school officials say they are doing everything they can, sometimes it's not enough.
"We've heard things lately around the area that's happened. So if nothing else it's a wake up call to parents to listen to your child and if they say it to you, you report it to us even if they won't. We take it very seriously and we know the results of that can be very devastating to a family."
Officials say if you suspect your child is being bullied, you should seek help.
