Online bully complaints show mean side of middle school

Something unexpected is happening with a new online system that allows people to report school bullying anonymously.

Parents are treating the Hillsborough schools Web site as a 24-hour complaint line for everything from their children's passing squabbles with classmates to grievances about teachers - incidents that usually don't rise to the level of bullying.

But that's fine with leaders in the schools, who are using the new tool to spot red flags before they escalate.

"It does expedite a situation," said Coleman Middle School Principal Michael Hoskinson, who reads every report at his school no later than the day after it was sent. "They can share their concerns with us immediately.''

Nearly 250 complaints have been lodged since the system debuted in August with the start of the school year. They paint a picture of the meaner side of student life - allegations of kicking, punching, sexual threats and nasty text messages.

Half involve students in the difficult middle-school years, according to documents obtained by The Tampa Tribune under Florida's Public Records Law. Most detail one-time incidents. But at least 41 were confirmed as bullying incidents, the district said.

One parent at Roland Park Middle School even drew a comparison between her complaint and an incident in May that brought renewed attention to bullying -- the sexual assault of a 13-year-old Walker Middle School boy.

"I think every single day about the student that was rape (sic) in the school gym by some other students, and finding out how he was teased daily," The Roland Park parent wrote. "One child being hurt is enough.''

In 2008, a state law went into effect that required school districts to create their own anti-bullying policies, track incidents, provide prevention programs in every school and give victims and witnesses a safe way to report allegations.

Hillsborough responded with the anonymous online reporting system. Each complaint is reviewed as it is received by the school's principal or another staff member, the district's area directors and two administrators.

Parents on both sides of the allegation are called, conversations are held, and a resolution is under way by the end of the day.

None of the 41 confirmed cases of bullying led to an arrest, said Judith Rainone, the district's director of administration, who tracks the incidents. The figure is from the first semester, when total reports reached 199. Punishment was handled by individual schools, she said, with reprimands, counseling, suspensions or expulsions.

Repeated physical or mental abuse is required for the incident to meet the state's definition of bullying. Rainone plans to add the definition to the online forms so people use it for bullying reports rather than "a platform for complaints," she said.

People contacted at the school level, though, welcome the information.

"Even though we're in the school every day, we can't see every little thing," Hoskinson said.

Here are some examples:

"These two boys that ride on the bus punch him, push him, make him get up from his seat, write on him with permanent markers on the face, tease him ...," one parent wrote recently about her son's abuse at Ben Hill Middle in north Tampa.

"He is very, very afraid and hates going to school because of his ride to and from!'' the parent said. "Please look into this situation ... PLEASE!''

Parents filed most of the complaints, providing the district with names, dates, phone numbers, addresses - anything to protect their children. Many give their own names and their students names, even though the district does not require this. All personal information is blacked out on documents provided the Tribune

"My daughter is fearful for her life," one parent said in reporting an incident at Pierce Middle.

Middle schools have accounted for 128 of the 248 reports so far. Middle school boys are blamed in 71 of the reports, compared to 31 girls, while 47 boys are portrayed as victims compared to 50 girls.

"On the bus just before the stop (female classmate) called my daughter a female dog," a Burns Middle parent wrote. "Then they got off the bus, started walking home ... started spitting on her ... calling her big fatty ... and teased her about her clothes and her hair. It is getting worse.''

One Greco Middle student showed up with her family at another girl's home to fight with her, according to one compliant.

"At middle schools, kids do a lot of trash-talking," said Michael Bobo, assistant principal of student affairs at Eisenhower Middle. "They're going through adolescence,'' dealing with new emotions and hormones.

At the same time, he said, "they're using a lot of technology.''

Eisenhower in Gibsonton, among the district's largest middle schools with more than 1,500 students, accounted for 10 reports -- the most among the 35 middle schools recording complaints. The Hillsborough district has 57 middle schools.

Smith Middle recorded nine complaints, Madison and Pierce eight each, Tomlin and Stewart had seven, and Orange Grove and Rodgers, six each.

Middle school is a tough time for students and parents, said Tracy Shatzberg, who oversees psychological services for the district. Hormones are raging, emotions are running high and change is constant.

Parents need to talk to their children about these changes, Shatzberg said, but they also need to listen. Kids need to know they can tell mom and dad anything.

Parents also need to step back and size up the situation before they jump in for the rescue, she said. Their reactions will influence how their children react.

"Go freak-out out of sight," Shatzberg quipped. "Keep your composure and help them through this together."

She praises the online reporting system for allowing anyone to speak up for children who might not feel comfortable talking to school officials.

"If we can have anyone take a stand," she said, "it empowers them.''