The sharply contrasting findings, from a Globe survey of the state’s 10 largest school systems, casts light on a lingering controversy over the Massachusetts law: What, if anything, should schools report about bullying among their students to authorities at the district or state level?
The law, as written, requires schools to document incidents of bullying but does not mandate they pass on the information or that it be tracked by any central authority. Defenders of the law say such a requirement would encourage schools to downplay problems for fear of being penalized. But critics say that without it, the state has no way to judge progress on bullying - or whether schools are in compliance.
A commission charged with reviewing the state law, chaired by Attorney General Martha Coakley, recently recommended that districts be required to submit data on bullying to state education officials, saying the information would help tailor prevention efforts and measure the effectiveness of the law.
Antibullying advocates and specialists, meanwhile, are saying that, at the very least, districts should collect and study data on a local level to guide prevention efforts.
“I’m stunned to think they wouldn’t,’’ said Marty Walz, a state representative and the antibullying law’s chief author. “I fully expect school districts to be evaluating data on a school-by-school basis. If they aren’t analyzing what’s happening, they won’t be able to make the adjustments to prevent bullying in the future.’’
Coakley’s commission concluded that schools should break down bullying data by the likely basis for harassment, such as race, national origin, or disability, and demographic information about victims and perpetrators.
Some administrators are planning to compile bullying data in the coming weeks, saying it is crucial to identify trends.
