Harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB) is characterized by any intentional gesture whether it is electronic, verbal, or physical that is meant to harm another person. Steilacoom High School has a system that is used to combat this issue that students face at school, but how effective is this system?
A student stated that they experienced continuous physical threats such as being drugged, killed, and dragged. This same student has had a no contact order since December this year, but this has not been enforced. The student stated that the administration has, “not been active,” when it comes to the no contact order. Despite this no contact order, this student has been followed home. The student stated that the administration responded by saying, “they were not on school property.” However, when asked, Jake Tyrrell stated that off campus occurrences that impact students in school, should still be reported and can have consequences.
After interviewing with multiple students, it was apparent that not many students use the anonymous tip line that is available for everyone. One student stated that they, “didn’t report it cause, honest to god I was scared of how the person would react, and if they would start spreading things about me and stuff.” For this reason and others such as not knowing about the tip line and the thought that it is useless, many students do not use this resource despite experiencing HIB. Tyrrell explained that when a student sends a message to the tip line, he gets every message personally and has responded to every message that he has received.
The problem with resolving these issues between students is that there needs to be a “paper trail,” said Tyrrell. Students should report when there is an occurrence repeatedly. Then the administration can see the behaviors on paper and actions can be taken, with proof. Another problem with this anonymous tip line is that it is anonymous. Tyrrell suggested that students that do want more action to be taken, should come talk to the administration to resolve the issue.
Around 100 students at SHS filled out an anonymous survey sent out about HIB and their experience with it. 22% of the students that answered said that they have experienced HIB at SHS, however only 5% of them have used the anonymous tip line. Another 50.6% of these students think that nothing would be done to resolve an issue that was sent through the anonymous tip line.
It is apparent that the current tactic for resolving HIB issues is not seen as effective through the eyes of SHS students, however, Tyrrell and the administration are working hard to combat these issues and be proactive in making SHS a place that is safe and allows students to have the ability to learn without being interrupted by HIB. If you are experiencing HIB in any way, shape, or form, report it through the anonymous tip line by texting 855-745-3674 or emailing [email protected]. After testing the tip line, we noticed that the email works and a code will be sent back with a link to check for responses from the administrators, however the number has some bugs and will not send a link back to check for responses, which the administration is actively working to resolve.
