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Report: Many Kentucky Principals Receive No Training on Bullying

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Kentucky principals are offering their perspective on school bullying. 

A statewide survey released Wednesday shows many principals have received no training on how to carry out policies to prevent bullying. 

The questionnaire was conducted by the Kentucky Center for School Safety.  Executive Director Jon Akers recommends districts gives principals more training, which should include helping administrators distinguish between bullying and other misbehaviors.

"Sometimes there's mislabeling of conflicts between kids," explains Akers.  "Peer-to peer conflict with no imbalance of power is a different situation than the imbalance of power and the continual harrassing of a kid."

More than half of the principals who responded to the survey said they were only given copies of their district’s anti-bullying policies, without any training.  About one-fourth of them said they have received training. 

Akers says principals are also concerned by the prevalence of cyber bullying, especially at the middle and high school levels.

"There's a frustration among principals that bullying is no longer eight to three o'clock," Akers tells WKU Public Radio.  "It's 24/7 and can happen electronically and nobody even knows what's going on until sometimes it's too late."

Akers says bullying prevention should have a community approach that includes schools, local governments, businesses and faith-based institutions. 

Nearly one-third of principals responding to the survey felt that school board members attempt to intercede on parents' behalf, which he says is "unhealthy."

"School board members are elected to produce policies.  School administrators are supposed to execute those policies," states Akers.  "I think some principals feel pressure is being put on them to handle these things.  The board member only looks at one side of the issue whereas the principal has to look at both sides of the issue."

The survey , taken last fall, questioned 625 principals and assistant principals at elementary, middle, and high schools statewide.

Lisa is a Scottsville native and WKU alum. She has worked in radio as a news reporter and anchor for 18 years. Prior to joining WKU Public Radio, she most recently worked at WHAS in Louisville and WLAC in Nashville. She has received numerous awards from the Associated Press, including Best Reporter in Kentucky. Many of her stories have been heard on NPR.
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