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Bullies
Continued from page A-1
situations."
In some cases, police become involved
in cases of bullying or harassment among
kids and teens.
"It seems to come in swarms," said
acting Lt. Virgil Pentz, from the Shel-
ton Police Department. "It seems to be
escalating everywhere in the country -
that's why we have someone full-time out
there."
Pentz referred to Brent Dehning, who
started in February as the Shelton School
District's (SSD) dedicated School Re-
source Officer (SRO), an SPD officer who
maintains a presence among SSD build-
ings.
"We're there basically ... to make it a
safer learning environment," Dehning
said. "Everybody should have a right to
get the education that they need and de-
serve."
Most issues at the high school level
result from "male/female conflicts,"
Dehning said.
Within only a few minutes on Oct. 13,
three separate calls came in to Mason
County law enforcement about violence
or bullying in schools.
The first involved an ongoing case
of bullying at Olympic Middle School
in Shelton, the second, a juvenile pull-
ing a knife on fellow teens near Shelton
High School, and the third, another inci-
dent with a knife, at North Mason High
School.
October is National Bullying Preven-
tion Month and Eric Barkman, principal
of Olympic Middle School, said the school
takes a serious stand to prevent bullying,
such as that reported to the police on Oct.
13, throughout the school year.
"We do a lot of things to address bully-
ing," he said. "This is the worst age."
Staff at the middle school works to
teach students to avoid bullying, as well
as teaching general good behavior and
values in seminars, or "boot camps," at
the beginning of the year. Students meet
with counselors and administrators and
sign anti-bullying contracts if they get
into trouble.
The school may also soon get a part-
time counselor through Behavioral
Health Resources (BHR), assistant prin-
cipal Fran Stevens said.
Despite the previous incident at North
Mason, Principal Chad Collins said vio-
lence is not a problem among students at
his school.
"Bullying/harassment occurs, but if
we recognize it or are notified about it,
we deal with it immediately," he said.
"School counselors and building admin-
istrators are usually able to deal with
the~e situations quickly and effe~ctively."
iI i ~grth Mason does not have a scho0i re:
source officer, but Collins said the school's
security guard is a very visible presence.
"Administrators and our campus se-
curity are very visible on campus build-
ing relationships with students so if a
problem arises, students feel comfortable
talking with us," he said.
Pentz said incidents involving weap-
ons generally trigger a suspension from
school and then a police investigation.
However many issues go back to the
school for punishment.
"A knife is not classified as an illegal
weapon," Dehning said. "That's going to
be a school issue."
Also, if two students agree to fight, the
most Dehning can charge them with is
disorderly conduct. Often it makes more
sense to refer punishment to the school,
he said.
While there are no dedicated SROs in
the Mason County Sheriffs Office, depu-
ties often participate in programs to help
reduce bullying in schools.
"They were out here helping us with
fourth-eighth grade, building awareness,"
said Pioneer school counselor Sharon
Kadlub.
"They talked about the importance
of not doing harassment ... and the con-
sequences," Kadlub said. "It was really
Journal photo by Natalie Johnson
Shelton Police Officer Brent
Dehning is the School Resource
Officer for the Shelton School
District. He works with students
and district staff to prevent and
address violence and criminal
activity at schools.
well-received."
While the Pioneer School District is
being proactive, she said bullying is not a
major issue there.
"I don't see it as a huge problem -
there are certainly problems with kids
who tease and it gets out of hand," she
said.
Many school staff members said the
biggest obstacle in their path is that
many victims of bullying do not report it.
"Our biggest problem is kids don't re-
port it," Stevens said. "I feel like we're
really successful if we know."
Often in bullying cases social network-
ing sites like Facebook, and even text
messaging, come into play. The possible
gun threat at OBJH first came to light
through a Facebook post.
"Social networking sites have added
a very complicated aspect to bullying,
where students will post some content
they probably shouldn't or don't really
mean and then that conflict often ends up
at school," Collins said. "If this interrupts
the educational process, we deal with it
immediately. If law enforcement is need-
ed, we call them."
Dehning said he had also come across
problems worsened by text messaging.
"It is so easy with all the instant mes-
saging now to get it riled up and then ev-
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erybody gets on the bandwagon," he Said: : : ..... : :
have
fishing
supplies!
"Instead of a 'he said, she said,' you've
got 40 people with it on their phone."
Although some national media re-
ports show bullying as an epidemic hit-
ting schools nationwide, Mason County
schools and police said they have the is-
sue under control with a variety of educa-
tional and counseling programs, and also
with support.from local law enforcement.
"It is very helpful for us to have an
SRO on campus," Berndtston said. "It al-
lows our students to see a Shelton police
ffficer on a daily basis ... as another posi-
tive role model."
Both Berndtston and Collins said that
they would not advocate for more secu-
rity, in the form of a metal detector, at
their schools.
"We have a no-tolerance approach to
weapons," Berndtston said. "I do not see
a reason for a metal detector at SHS.
We have great students who d() not de-
serve to have a campus that looks like a
prison."
In the end, bullying is as old as his-
tory, and is not likely to stop anytime
soon. All schools can do is address the
problems as they come up.
"Schools are never going to be able to
stop this from happening," Dehning said.
"Bullying has always gone on."
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Cronce, who has been al- "I will not speak any
Continued from page A-1 lowed to testify at several more at meetings," he said.
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"Whoever's running that he announced his candida- get raised ... As far as I'm
meeting should tell them cy for mayor, said he would concerned it's water under
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Shelton-Mason County Journal -Thursday, October 27, 20111 - Page A-7