Although people may not always see it in action, bullying can become a problem in many different environments. It’s important that schools create an effective way for students to report bullying and help their peers who may be dealing with these kinds of issues.

Although Erica Williams, Spanish teacher, doesn’t think it’s a major issue at Lake Ridge, she believes there are some actions and behaviors by students that can go overlooked and could be considered bullying.

“I don’t see it often, but I do think there is some bullying. There are activities that some people don’t associate with bullying, but they are and students need to learn to understand that,” said Williams.

Williams also believes that the effects of being a victim of bullying can affect a student’s well being as they get older.

“This can affect them in many ways, it can affect their self esteem and their ability to separate that issue from other life issues like academics, relationships, and family. As they grow older and get out of their adolescent stage, they start to move on, but some people are affected long term,” said Williams.

Assistant principal, Rob Romaguera, says bullying is not a huge issue at Lake Ridge, but students who feel they are a victim or witness to what they believe to be bullying should first vocalize the issues to their parents, teachers, guidance counselors, or administrators. This can be done at school with faculty members or through Crime Stoppers, which is an anonymous service to report suspicious activity or suspected crime to.

The district has also introduced a new way to report incidents online through the Mansfield Independent School District’s website under the “Student Central” and “Anti-bullying” tab. Students are now able to file an anonymous form to inform their school of any incidents they experience or witness. Romaguera also says the school tries to prevent further incidents by informing students who have been bullied of the different outlets they can reach out to while also helping the bully understand that their actions are wrong.

“We do try to inform students of different things going on at the school like at the beginning of the year when we do all our due process meetings with the students and to parents through our newsletter and our new app called ‘The Nest’. I think a student that is bullied is going to have that deep rooted into their emotional and mental well being. It’s a big problem across the nation, but the effects of it can have a big impact on as far as how a person’s life transforms. It can have lasting effects, so we do take it very seriously and want to alleviate it and direct the students that are doing it down a different path,” Romaguera stated.

Although bullying may not be a major problem at Lake Ridge, most would agree that the school and the district is putting measures in place to protect students. Of course students may also find that speaking with their counselors can be beneficial in dealing with any experiences they have had and working toward moving on past their hurt or trauma.