The Baltimore Sun’s Tony Roberts wrote an excellent article bringing to light the issue of bullying in schools (“Bullying reports are up in Baltimore schools. Here’s what to do if your child is being bullied — or is the bully.” April 15).
Bullying has always had a stigma surrounding it. In the past, most schools would ignore the issue altogether, even after multiple instances. I was personally told that I was “hypersensitive” in response to multiple bullying occasions. And this is where I believe most students have trouble when it comes to speaking up.
At a young age, it is hard to gather one’s emotions to gain the confidence to speak up. Students may be worried about retaliation from the bully or the school not believing them. And this is where the school needs to make it clear that there is a trusted adult — a counselor, for example — who will listen to them. Most students rarely speak with their counselor.
They need to check up on students more often to make sure that they are not being bullied and, if an issue arises, make sure that the school is notified of the situation.
— Dylan Cignatta, Perry Hall
Add your voice: Respond to this piece or other Sun content by submitting your own letter.
