Is Your Child Being Bullied? Here Are Some Valuable Resources
Bullying is absolutely terrible and unfortunately, it just doesn't seem to go away. Children all over the country are subject to awful words and, in severe cases, physical abuse from bullies. This National Bullying Prevention Month, I think it's important to highlight some of the excellent resources that parents in Montana can utilize to better understand and help prevent bullying.
Bullying is a Massive Problem in Montana Schools
In 2019, it was found that 22 percent of Montana students were bullied while on school property. In the same study, it was also found that a shocking 23 percent of students considered suicide and 10 percent actually attempted suicide. The issue is incredibly important to highlight and, as someone who was bullied in school myself, is very personal to me.
Despite the awful statistics, there are great resources for Montana students and their parents. The Montana Office of Public Instruction includes multiple links on their site that lead to resources from the Montana Department of Justice, the US Department of Education, and the US Department of Homeland Security. Montana schools are required to have a protocol that deals with bullying as well.
There's Even a Montana Law Dedicated to Anti-Bullying
The Bully-Free Montana Act is a law passed in 2015 that makes bullying in Montana schools completely illegal. It also allows anyone subject to bullying to seek any form of redress necessary. It's an absolute amazing piece of legislation, and needs to be highlighted more than it already has.
Unfortunately, bullying is likely going to continue in our schools, because not everyone is perfect. But, with the resources available to us, we can lessen the impact of it on our children.