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Behindthefence
Wednesday,Jun.27,2012byLauraPeters,TimesMirrorStaffWriter|2comments|Emailthisstory

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FreedomHighSchool studentTylarSommers chosenottowalkwithher graduatingclassto protestthe administrationforwhat shesaidwasalackof supportwhenshe broughtapersonal bullyingproblemtotheir attention.TimesMirror StaffPhoto/BeverlyDenny

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WalkingdownthehallsatFreedomHighSchoolwasanightmare.Snickeringandstareswere likedaggersinto17yearoldTylarSommersback. Thiswasntthesenioryearsheexpected. Constantlybulliedbyacoregroupofgirlsandwhatshedescribesasalackofhelpfromthe schooladministration,TylarSommerssenioryearwasspentfightingtojustgetthrougheach day. SoonJune10,theonceshyteenagerdecidedtofightbacksherefusedtowalkatherhigh schoolsgraduation,insteadoptingtopickupherdiplomalaterthatweek. Theywerelabelingmeandtheyweretryingtogivemeabadrep.AndIdidhaveabadrep.I lostallmyfriends,allbecauseofwhattheyweresaying,theteensaid. Shefeltjudgedbytherumorsabouther. Ihadnofriends.IwantedasenioryearthatIcouldenjoy...I[didnt]havethat,becausethey ruineditforme. Bullyingcomestotheforefront Bullyinghasbeeninschoolsfordecades.Itwasntuntilthe1999shootingsatColumbineHigh SchoolinColoradothatparentsandeducatorsbegantakingacloserlookattheproblem.Inthe yearsthatpassed,morereportsofteensuicidesrelatedtobullyingbeganmakingheadlines. WiththeintroductionofsocialmediaMyspace,FacebookandYouTubetheproblemgrew. TherecentcaseoftheRutgersUniversityfreshmanwhojumpedofftheGeorgeWashington BridgeafterhisroommatetapedhimwithothermenandposteditonFacebookandYouTubeis anexampleofhowsomeonecanusesocialmediatobully. InTylarSommerscase,Facebookwasanintegralpartofbeingbullied. TylarSommerswasoncefriendswiththegroupthatallegedlybulliedherinschool.Atiffthat begannearlytwoyearsagooveracheatingboyfriendleftTylarSommerstoconfrontagirlinher
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group. Theconfrontationbackfired. OnFacebook,thegirlscursedher,callhernamesandtriedtoruinherreputation.Inschool,the teenwasabandoned.Shehadnofriendsandwaslefttofacehersenioryearalone. TylarSommerstoldherschoolcounselor,thedeanandtheprincipalaboutthebullyingtaking allthestepstogettheproblemaddressed.Therewasevenameetingforherandheralleged bullywithschooladministrators,withnoresolve. Theypreachthattheyhaveazerotolerancepolicy,herfather,KentSommerssaid.Hesaidthe schooltriedtoturnhisdaughterintothescapegoatandmakeherchangeherlifetogetthrough school. AccordingtoaUniversityofIllinoisChampaignreport,TylarSommersfeelingsofneglectare notuncommon. Thereport,BullyinginSchools,foundthat25percentofstudentsfeltadultinterventionis infrequentandunhelpful.Students,accordingtothereport,alsofearedthattellinganadult wouldbringmoreharassmentasaresultofreportingthebullying. Drs.AndreaCohnandAndreaCanteroftheNationalAssociationofSchoolPsychologists reportedin2002that25percentofteachersseenothingwrongwithbullyingandbecauseof that,onlyintervene4percentofthetimeinbullyingincidents.CohnandCanteralsosay bullyingisthemostcommonformofviolenceinoursociety.Between15and30percentof studentsarebulliesorvictims,accordingtotheirstudies. Boysvs.girls Dr.JamesMcMurrer,medicaldirectorofInovaKellarCenter,abehavioralhealthcenterin Fairfax,saysgirlscanbemoreintensewiththeirbullyingthanboys. Theycanbeverycattyorcliqueish,McMurrersaid.Thespreadingofrumorscanbeamajor issue.Thereareanumberof[waysof]bullying:verbal,physical,emotionalbullying.Thegirls tendtobemoreinvolvedintheemotionalbullying,wheretheyrespreadingmorerumorsor ostracizing,somekidsexcludingsomekids. McMurrersaidbulliestargettheweakestorthosewhohavelowselfesteem,areinsecureand havebeenrejected. Insomeschoolstheresthemeangirlgroup.Theyrekindofarrogantfemaleteenswhofeel theyrethecoolestandsometimestheycanbemeantootherkids,McMurrersaid. TylarSommerssharedtwoclasseswithherbully.Shealsohasahearingdisabilitythatrequired hertohaveanassistantintheroomwithherduringcertainclassesmakingitimpossiblefor hertoswitchclassesandgetawayfromthesituation. Classesweresotense.Ihadtositinthefrontoftheclassroombecauseofmyhearing.She,[the bully,]justlikedtositjustrightnexttome.Ihadtokeepmoving,shesaid. OnedayafterschoolinOctober2011,TylarSommersandherbullygotintoanaltercationwhen thebullytriedtopulloutofaparkinglotandalmosthitTylarSommerscar.Wordquickly spreadabouttheincidentonFacebook,sayingitwasTylarSommersfault.InJanuary,the bullyallegedlyfollowedTylarSommershome,threateningherandaccusingherofputtingdog fecesonhercarwhichTylarSommersdenied.Herstepmother,DenaSommers,calledthe LoudounCountySheriffsOfficetointervene. Accordingtoauthorities,deputiesrespondedtotheincident,andanonformalcomplaintwas made.TylarSommerssaidshedidntwanttoreportherbullybecauseshewantedtobethe biggerperson. Drawingtheinvisibleline PostsonFacebookwouldreadTylarSommersistwofaced,fake,rudeandaliar. Ididntthinksocialmediawassorude.IthoughtthatallthatstuffonTVshowswerejust... wasnthappeninginSouthRiding,TylarSommerssaid. Bullyingcanbeelectronic,verbalorphysicalactsthathappeninschool,accordingtoLCPS guidelines.Butwhenbullyingoccursoutsideofschool,officialsarestrugglingtodrawthelineof whentostepin. Itsagrayareaandcomesinallshapesandsizes,DavidSpage,LCPSdirectorofhighschool educationsaid.Schoolsareseeingthespillovereffectwithtweetingandonline[sources]. AccordingtoTedFeinbergoftheNationalAssociationofSchoolPsychologistsSchools, principalsarestrugglingtodeterminetheirauthorityovercyberbullying,butit,inturn,affects studentsintheschoolenvironment.
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Schoolleaderscannotignorecyberbullyingbutrathermustunderstanditslegaland psychologicalramifications,Feinbergwroteinanarticlefortheassociation. Bullyingoutsideofschool,likecyberbullying,willbeaddressedifitdirectlyaffectstheoperation oftheschool,accordingtoLCPSguidelines. AfterameetingbetweenTylarSommersandthebully,anythingwrittenonFacebookwas removedwithouttheadministrationseeingit,leavingTylarSommerswithoutmuchproof againstherattacker. Itsintimidation,itsaformofbullying,TylarSommersexplained.TherewerejustsomedaysI wouldseeheronthewaytohistoryandbelike,Icantdothistoday.Shegotinsidemyhead.I wouldcomehomecrying. TylarSommerscasewasdocumentedstartinginOctober2011.Hercasewasinvestigatedby Freedomsadministration,buttheyfoundnoevidenceofherbeingbullied.VictorPowell, Freedomsdean,inanemailtoretiredFreedomHighSchoolPrincipalChristineForester,said TylarSommersmathteacherdeniedanysignsofbullyinginclass.Documentationofthe bullyingtrickledoffbyFebruary. Spagesaidprincipalsactasmediatorsinsituationsofbullying.Lessthan1percentofstudents aresubjecttodisciplinaryactionssuchasexpulsion,hesaid. Spagesaidthemainproblemschoolsystemsrunintoiswhensocialmediaisinvolved. Atourhighschoolsourprincipalstakeanyreportofbullying,physicalorverbal,seriouslyand handleit,Spagesaid,pointingoutthatmostofthebullyingreportedisthroughsocialmedia andtheInternet. ForesterrefusedtocommentaboutTylarSommerscase.OtherLoudounCountyPublicSchool Administrationstaffalsorefusedtocommentafterrepeatedattempts. WaydeByard,publicinformationofficerforLCPS,saidtheschoolscannotcontrolwhatsposted onTwitterorFacebookaccountsthatcomesfromparentalinvolvement.Manystudentsthink theirFacebookorTwitteraccountsareprivatebuttheyreonlineforeveryonetosee,Byard explained.HesaidLCPSworkswiththeLoudounCountySheriffsOfficeifthereareactual threatsinvolvedinabullyingsituation. Theschoolsystem TheschoolsystemwasawareofTylarSommerssituationandbroughtthetwogirlstogetherfor mediation,Byardsaid. Butintheend,therewasnoresolution.Thegirlswalkedawaystillonunfriendlyterms,theteen said. Theydecidedtoavoideachotherinschool,which,accordingtoTylarSommers,didntwork. TheschoolhadalsodoneeverythingtheycouldtogetTylarSommerstowalkforgraduation, Byardsaid,offeringtopurchaseheracapandgownbecauseshehadrefusedtoearlierinthe year.Theyevenofferedtomoveherseatforgraduationsoshewasntnearherbully,Byardsaid. Butintheend,TylarSommersfeltthehelpsherepeatedlyaskedfornevercame. Idealtwithitwaytoolong.Itshouldnthavegoneonthatlong,shesaid. Youcantsayyoureaherointhehallwaybecauseyourelettingmegetbulliedandyoure watchingandIveapproachedyouanddoneallthesteps.Ms.Forester,Ithinkyoureabully, TylarSommerssaidshetoldherprincipal.AndIwalkedoutofheroffice.

HereTylarSommerssits onthebleacherswithher sisterAberley,5.Times MirrorStaffPhoto/Beverly Denny

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Whattodoifyoufeelbulliedorseesomeonebeingbullied FortheU.S.DepartmentofHealth&HumanServiceswebsiteonbullyingvisitstopbullying.gov ForLoudounSchoolsguidelinesonbullyingvisitlcps.org Ifyouknowsomeonethinkingofsuicideorareyourself,calltheLIFELINEat18002738255. FreedomHighSchoolparticipatesinHerointheHallway,whichisanationalantibullying campaign.

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Comments
Thu,Jun28at07:01PMbyenuf|Reportthiscomment

UnfortunatelywhatTylarexperiencedisprettymuchnormalforthisschool district.Ohyea,theyhaveazerotolerancepolicyonbullying..theyjusthave nocluehowtodealwiththeissue.Wehadanverysimilarexperienceandno onewouldlistentoourkideither.Lotsofheadnodding,butnothingsubstantial doneuntilthebullythreatenedtokillacouplekids.Theonlyreasonhegot bootedfromschoolforonesemesterwasbecausetheyfoundabandanainthe kidslocker.Oncethenewsemesterstartedthekidwasrightbackatschoolwith thesameattitudeandintimidation.Thisdistrictcansayallitwantsbutitcan notdoadangthingaboutbullying.

Wed,Jun27at02:58PMbyml_mom|Reportthiscomment

Imsosorrythatyouvehadsuchahorribleexperience,Tylar.Itssuchashame thatmorewasntdonetohelpyou,especiallyconsideringhowdetrimental bullyingcanbetoayoungpersonslife.Ithinkalotofschooladministrators liketothinkthattheyareheroes,thattheyarefightingtoprotecttheir studentsandmakingadifference.But,inreality,manyofthemareineffectual leaderswhoaresuckedintothemindlessbureaucracyofpublicschool administration.Thankyouforbeingbraveenoughtospeakoutandstandup foryourself,Tylar.Ihopethatyoufindpeacedowntheroadandthatyourlife willbefilledwithmanyblessedandwonderfulmoments!

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