Branstad Listens in on Anti-Bullying Panel in Linn County

TROY MILLS - Addressing students at North-Linn Community Schools on Monday, Governor Terry Branstad thanked them for 'recognizing the importance of standing up to bullying.”

Joined by his wife Chris and Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds, Branstad listened in to a panel discussion that included school administrators, board members, and students.

High school principal Scott Beaty said his school's policies make it clear: Bullying is not tolerated.

'I think the most important thing is, the kids understand that,” Beaty explained. 'They do a really good job of policing themselves.”

Beaty estimates he deals with two or three cases of bullying, or situations that may lead to bullying, every month. He said administrators partly rely on students like senior Clinton Prier, who said preventing harassment is easy in a school where everyone knows everyone.

'There maybe have been some instances, but being at a small school, I don't think there's a whole lot of bullying that goes on around our school,” Prier said.

The fact that North-Linn's smaller size may contribute to instances of bullying being fairly low came up in the panel discussion. But as the panel also discussed, bullying is constantly evolving, and it doesn't just happen in classrooms and hallways.

Some North-Linn faculty members said the state needs to keep funding training on how to investigate in-person and cyber bullying.

'I think a big part of it is parent involvement in the social media, so if they do see something, they can put a stop to it,” said Brad Bridgewater, who primarily teaches 6th grade math and science. Bridgewater also leads a class on helping kids make smarter choices while interacting with their peers online, something he calls 'digital citizenship.”

'I think in today's age, with the way kids are on social media, it's important that they have responsibility for their actions and what they're posting,” Bridgewater said, 'Let people know that it's not just you and I talking, it's you and the world.”

Branstad also touched on his commitment to improve Iowa's current anti-bullying and harassment law, set in 2007. Different versions of a bill that would have updated the law failed to pass the Iowa House and Senate earlier this year.