Bullying is serious issue in schools across the country. Severe bullying can have long-term effects on the victims. Michigan law requires school districts to have anti-bullying policies and to investigate and report cases.
But when Lansing State Journal reporter Rachel Greco looked into whether districts in the Lansing area are obeying that law, she found that many are not.
Greco spoke to Michigan Radio’s Morning Edition host Doug Tribou about her story, "Is your school following Michigan's anti-bullying law? Probably not."
The state's Matt Epling Safe School Law was enacted in 2011 to help prevent bullying in schools. It was named in honor of a high school student who was bullied and killed himself at the age of 14 in 2002.
"I found that two of the 18 school districts are informing their elected school board members of the scope of the bullying incidents in their districts annually," Greco said. "And it's required by law that all districts do this."
Greco also discovered a wide range of reporting with some districts noting hundreds of incidents a year while others listed fewer than a dozen among thousands of students district-wide.
To hear the full interview, click the play button above.
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