Kappeler: Community Policing, 6th Edition


Case Studies with Questions and Answers

Chapter 11: Community Policing and Special Populations

You are a school resource officer. You are concerned about the increasing reports of bullying happening in your school. You are concerned about the students who are being bullied because you know that individuals who are victims of bullying are more likely to be socially withdrawn, have lower self-esteem, become depressed, and in some instances retaliate violently against those who have bullied them.

You also are concerned about the students who are bullying their classmates. You know of at least instances of bullying that escalated from verbal disputes to violent physical attacks. You have decided that the implementation of a bullying awareness program at your school might help.

You approach your chief of police about implementing a bullying program in your school. He agrees that it may be what the school needs to reduce instances of bullying and educate the students about the consequences of bullying. But before he will talk to the mayor about funding such a program, the chief request more information.

Questions

  1. What do recent statistics tell us about violence in schools?
  2. Correct Answer

    In 2009, 31 percent of students in grades 9-12 reported they had been in a physical fight at least once in the previous 12 months and 17 percent of students reported carrying a weapon at least once in the last 30 days and eight percent of students reported being threatened with a weapon (Robers et al., 2010).


  3. What does the research tell us about the primary reasons bullying occurs in schools?
  4. Correct Answer

    Two out of the top three reasons for being bullied were because people perceived the victim as either gay, lesbian, or bisexual, or by how masculine or feminine they seemed. These descriptors target populations of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transsexual (LGBT) students who are more likely to be at risk for encountering physically or emotionally damaging taunts, language, and threats due to sexual orientation or affiliation with LGBT individuals.Bullying can make them feel enough shame to even hide the trouble from loved ones, resulting in a sense of hopeless isolation that restrains them from seeking help and can result in the taking of desperate measures instead of suffering the victimization any longer.


  5. What can school administrators do to reduce bullying in schools?
  6. Correct Answer

    Schools must adopt principles that will educate faculty, staff, and parents about how to recognize bullying and how to intervene early, and also for places of education to adopt policies that teachers and other school officials can stand behind and uphold when bullying incidences do occur.


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