The First Weeks of School Are a Good Time to Talk About Bullying

By Greg Ritchie

Messenger Reporter

HOUSTON COUNTY — The 2026-27 school year is beginning in stages across the area. Latexo ISD opened Aug. 3, followed by Grapeland and Slocum on Aug. 5, Kennard on Aug. 6, and Crockett and Elkhart on Aug. 10. Lovelady ISD is scheduled to begin Wednesday, Aug. 12.

That means families are settling into new bus routes, new classrooms and new routines. Students are meeting new teachers, finding their places at lunch and reconnecting with friends they may not have seen all summer.

For most children, those adjustments are ordinary parts of returning to school. For others, the first weeks of a new year can bring an older problem back into focus: bullying.

Bullying does not always look like a fight in the hallway. It can be a rumor passed from one student to another, a child repeatedly being left out, cruel comments made in a group chat or a humiliating photograph shared online. Sometimes it is obvious. Sometimes it happens quietly enough that adults do not see it until a child begins changing the way he or she acts.

National data show how common those experiences remain. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 19% of high school students were bullied at school in 2023, up from 15% in 2021.

The National Center for Education Statistics found that about 19% of students ages 12 to 18 reported being bullied during school in 2021-22. Among those students, 22% said the bullying happened online or by text. The most common forms reported were being the subject of rumors and being made fun of, called names or insulted.

The surveys use different age groups and questions, but they point to the same reality: Bullying is not limited to the playground, and it does not always leave a visible injury.

A disagreement between two students is not automatically bullying. Neither is every unkind moment. But a repeated pattern of hurtful behavior, a threat, deliberate exclusion or the use of social standing, information or technology to control and embarrass another student deserves attention.

The label should never become an excuse for adults to dismiss a child’s concern. A student should not have to prove the legal definition of bullying before someone listens carefully and helps determine what is happening.

Parents may notice the problem first through changes at home. A child who once talked freely about school may become unusually quiet. A student may begin complaining of headaches or stomachaches, have trouble sleeping, lose interest in schoolwork or suddenly resist getting on the bus.

Those signs can have many causes, and they do not automatically mean bullying is taking place. They are reasons to ask better questions.

Instead of stopping with “Did you have a good day?” parents might ask who their child sat with at lunch, whether anyone seemed uncomfortable at school or whether there was a moment during the day that felt difficult. Children may not volunteer information immediately. A calm conversation at the kitchen table or during the drive home may work better than a hurried question while everyone is getting ready for bed.

Students also need to know that reporting bullying is not the same as being disloyal or causing trouble. Telling a trusted adult may be the first step toward stopping the behavior, protecting another student or making sure a situation does not grow worse.

That adult may be a parent, teacher, counselor, coach, bus driver, principal or another school employee. If the first person does not understand what is happening, the student should continue telling responsible adults until someone takes the concern seriously.

When bullying happens online, students should avoid responding with threats or forwarding humiliating material. Saving messages or screenshots can help adults understand what occurred. Blocking an account may stop additional contact, but it does not replace reporting threats, harassment or repeated abuse.

Students who witness bullying also have an important choice to make. Laughing, sharing a post or joining a group that is targeting someone can make the situation worse. A student does not have to confront another person physically to help. Walking away, checking on the student afterward, refusing to pass along a rumor or getting an adult may be safer and more effective.

In a small community, school life does not stay entirely inside the school building. Students may see one another at athletic events, community activities, jobs, churches or family gatherings. That can make bullying especially difficult to discuss when families know one another or when a child worries that reporting a problem will create more attention.

That is one reason adults should respond with patience rather than immediately demanding an explanation or confronting another child. The first priority is making sure the student feels heard and safe. Schools can then follow their established procedures to gather information and determine the appropriate response.

Texas school systems are required to adopt policies and procedures concerning bullying prevention. The Texas Education Agency finalized minimum standards for those policies in 2023. Families should review their district’s student handbook or website to learn how bullying reports are made and who should receive them. If the process is not clear, a campus office or counselor can explain where a report should go.

The response should also include students who bully others. Holding a child accountable is necessary, but punishment alone may not address the reasons behind the behavior or prevent it from happening again. Clear limits, adult supervision and continued attention can help protect the targeted student while addressing the conduct of the student responsible.

The new school year is still young. That gives families, schools and students an opportunity to establish expectations before small acts of cruelty become accepted as normal.

Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]