Data show rising middle-school reports of bullying; committee discusses interventions and reporting

Committee members reviewed findings from the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey comparing 2021 and 2023 responses and discussed implications for district interventions.

Julie presented longitudinal data, saying that middle-school reports of feeling bullied rose from 48% in 2021 to 67% in 2023, while high-school rates declined. She described the district’s Building Assets Reducing Risks (BAR) social-emotional learning work at the middle school, the use of school investigations and interventions that combine discipline with training and supports, and the district’s online reporting form that routes concerns to administrators and SRO emails.

When asked about consequences when interventions fail, Julie said the district escalates discipline, up to expulsion in extreme cases, although she added she did not recall a bullying case resulting in expulsion in recent memory. Committee members discussed whether the new phone-free policy might affect cyberbullying rates and considered having nurses or social workers present more detailed data at a future meeting.

Julie emphasized the district looks for trends over multiple surveys rather than single-year fluctuations and offered to provide further longitudinal data as it becomes available.