Kids-parents-school personnel: Few are talking and even less are listening

Teacher awareness and a desire to create a positive environment can result in an atmosphere where caring is the norm and bullying is not tolerated. Yet, if parents and teachers are not communicating, timely and well-reasoned responses to bullying cannot be offered. This study examined communication patterns between children, parents and school personnel in regard to bullying in a rural school setting in the United States. A convenience sample of 494 individuals was surveyed. The sample included 230 parents, 72 school personnel, and 192 students. Findings indicate that school bullying has been and continues to be a serious problem, though communication between children, parents, and school personnel did not reflect the reality of the bullying problem. An overview of the findings are presented, along with suggestions for interventions and future research to enhance communication patterns between all parties in an effort to eliminate school bullying.