Important Letter From the Office of Superintendent Bahr |
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Dear Peninsula School District staff, students, families, and community,
I want to address a deeply concerning issue that has come to our attention in recent months: the harmful rise of online bullying within our community. Students have been posting unflattering and sometimes explicit photos of students and staff without their consent on social media sites, namely Instagram and Snapchat. These posts have been used to bully, mock, harass, and body shame others,students and staff. Sadly, this is a national epidemic and Peninsula School District is not an exception to this problem.
First, I want to say to those who shared their experiences: we hear you. We empathize with the pain and frustration you are feeling, and we stand with you. Let me be clear; bullying, harassment and intimidation of any kind are unacceptable in our district. These actions are in direct conflict with the inclusive and supportive culture we are committed to fostering. Every student and every staff member deserve to feel safe, valued, and respected.
HOW WE RESPOND
For any student or staff member who has been targeted by these harmful posts, please know that we are here to support you. If you are a target of a post or see any posts targeting others, please report it via our anonymous reporting system “HEAR ME WA” or reach out to a trusted staff member, counselor, or school administrator who will report it. It is critical that these posts are reported in order to gain an accurate understanding of what is happening to students and staff online.
Once the district receives a report of an inappropriate post, we immediately investigate and report the post to Meta - Instagram’s parent company - and request that the post be removed. In some cases, we may request that the account be blocked entirely.
WORKING TOGETHER TO PREVENT ONLINE BULLYING
We are committed to creating a positive and inclusive environment for everyone in our school community. Last year, the board of directors passed a policy that bans cell phone use during school hours (3245 3245P). Our staff will redouble efforts to monitor for inappropriate cell phone use during the school day. We also blocked access to social media platforms on our all district wifi networks. This effort compliments existing board policies that expressly prohibit Harassment, Intimidation, Bullying, and Discrimination (3207 3207P/3210 3210P). We will continue to educate students about digital citizenship and the importance of respect, both online and offline.
Ultimately, only the social media company can remove posts or ban accounts. We have seen response times vary, and in most cases the companies have not taken any action at all. It is deeply frustrating as an educator and as a parent to know that these companies do not prioritize moderating these accounts, nor do they offer reasonable help for school districts to prevent online bullying. Last year, our board of directors signed an agreement to be represented along with other Washington school districts in a class action lawsuit against these companies, demanding more safeguards for children and support in combating the growing mental health crisis linked to the use of their platforms. However, we recognize any outcomes from this legal action will be a long time coming, and our children cannot wait.
CALL TO ACTION
Given the urgency and complexity of this issue, I have asked our Chief of Schools, Michael Farmer, to add this as a component of an ongoing review of the district’s approach to belonging around diversity, equity, and inclusion. Additionally, our Deputy Chief of Schools, Julie Shultz- Bartlett will convene a bullying awareness and prevention task force in the coming weeks, to dive deeper into these issues and improve our understanding and responses. The task force will encompass both online and in-person instances of bullying, harassment and intimidation, as well as analyze current policy and procedures. It will include students, staff, parents, and outside experts.
We recognize the limitations of what we can directly control in the digital world. We also recognize that experiences in the digital world have major impacts on the real world. For many of us, especially our children, these worlds are deeply interconnected. This is where we ask for your help.
Parents and guardians, we urge you to stay informed and actively monitor your child's online activity. Conversations about responsible and respectful social media use are crucial to preventing and addressing cyberbullying. On our website, you can find resources and information about digital wellness and how to have hard conversations with kids about social media and being a good digital citizen. Visit https://www.psd401.net/digitalwellness to find resources.
Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your ongoing partnership in supporting the well-being of every member of our community.
Sincerely,
Krestin Bahr
Superintendent |
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