HANCOCK COUNTY — It’s been over three weeks since 10-year-old Sammy Teusch took his own life, which his parents say was the result of relentless bullying by schoolmates at Greenfield Intermediate School.
Since then, Sammy’s death has prompted a nationwide conversation, shining the spotlight on bullying, with his father being interviewed by local, regional and national news outlets.
A petition at change.org aimed at passing a national law regarding bullying in Sammy’s name has garnered over 15,700 signatures since it was first launched May 18, with a goal of 25,000. (change.org/SammyTeusch)
In response to the Daily Reporter’s request for how bullying reports are handled in schools, the superintendents from all four Hancock County school systems issued a joint statement May 17.
“All districts mourn the loss of any student or staff member in our tight-knit county and we all share efforts to support Greenfield-Central as their district heals,” it reads. “All Hancock County schools have anti-bullying policies and adhere to all Indiana laws, often adding efforts beyond the state’s requirements. Many behaviors and conflicts reported as bullying do not meet the definition set forth by Indiana Code, but are identified as behaviors needing other interventions or disciplinary actions per our student handbooks.”
Eastern Hancock, Greenfield-Central and New Palestine schools follow a version of bullying measures known in their respective handbooks as C200, while Mt. Vernon follows a version known as C600.
“Boards codify policies differently,” Maria Bond, director of community relations for Mt. Vernon said. “We just have a different coding system. All four school districts’ policies are highly similar.”
All are based off the Indiana Code shared by the Indiana Department of Education, which defines bullying as “overt, unwanted, repeated acts or gestures, including verbal or written communications or images transmitted in any manner (including digitally or electronically), physical acts committed, aggression, or any other behaviors, that are committed by a student or group of students against another student with the intent to harass, ridicule, humiliate, intimidate, or harm the other targeted student and create for the targeted student an objectively hostile school environment…”
It goes on to say that bullying “fosters a climate of fear and disrespect that can seriously impair the physical and psychological health of its victims and create conditions that negatively affect learning. Bullying includes unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time.”
As for reporting requirements, the department of education requires bullying to be classified within one or more of the following categories: physical, verbal, social/relational or electronic/written communication.
Cyberbullying specifically refers to bullying that occurs through the use of data or computer software accessed through a computer, computer system, computer network or cellular phone or other wireless or cellular communications device.
Regardless of how bullying is carried out, experts agree victims can suffer long-term negative effects, or in some cases be compelled to take their own life.
“It’s like the white elephant in the room that nobody is talking about. I just didn’t realize it was such a bad problem,” said Sammy’s father, Sam Teusch, who said he knew Sammy was being bullied, but never thought it would cause him to take his own life.
Christina DeWitt, Healthy Community Manager with Hancock Health, refers parents to the bullying resource center provided by the the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
Stomp Out Bullying also offers resources for parents of children who are being bullied, she said.
CrisisTextLine.org has a Crisis Text Line that anyone can text to gain support and resources for bullying 24/7.
“We also always encourage if you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline which is available 24/7,” said DeWitt. “Finally, the Hancock Health Connection Center provides quarterly QPR Training right here in Hancock County. Just like CPR, QPR is an emergency response that you can learn to save someone’s life if they are considering self-harm or suicide.”
For more information on QPR classes, call (317) 468-4231.
For a more detailed description or what constitutes bullying, visit stopbullying.gov/bullying/what-is-bullying, a federal government website managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
For more information on local school system’s codes on bullying, visit their individual web sites:
Eastern Hancock Schools — easternhancock.org
Greenfield-Central Community School Corp. — gcsc.k12.in.us
Mt. Vernon Community School Corp. — mvcsc.k12.in.us
New Palestine Community Schools — newpal.k12.in.us
