Bullying, whatever form it takes, is no laughing matter.

Lives are scarred and some young people have even taken their own lives after having been bullied by their peers.

“We deal with it in all ranges,” said Dr. Cloise Williams of Baldwin High School in middle Georgia town of Milledgeville. “It can be kids who were friends and all of a sudden that friendship is broken and now there’s a separation between the two and now there’s harassment going on through text messaging or social media. Now what they do is gather with other friends and begin to highlight things shared with the friend during that time with others and now they begin to exploit that.”

According to national statistics from stopbullying.gov, a federal government website managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 28 percent of middle and high school students in the United States have experienced bullying and 70.6 percent of young people say they’ve seen bullying in their schools. While it can be seen in any age group, bullying is more commonly seen in middle schools.

“There is not a single profile of a young person involved in bullying,” HHS states. “Youth who bully can be either well connected socially or marginalized, and may be bullied by others as well. Similarly, those who are bullied sometimes bully others. Youth who both bully others and are bullied are at greatest risk for subsequent behavioral, mental health and academic problems.”

Bullying is defined by the American Psychological Association as “a form of aggressive behavior in which someone intentionally and repeatedly causes another person injury or discomfort.”

While in years past, bullying may have been seen more in the school hallways, technology has made it possible for a child to be a bully or a victim of bullying in school, after-school and even in the home.

Bullying is far from being just a problem in inner cities or large metropolitan school districts. Rural schools in the Southeastern United States — in what might be considered more close knit, congenial communities — know the problem all too well.

Confronting ‘cyberbullying’

Defined as bullying that takes place using electronic technology, cyberbullying has become a growing concern among parents and school administrators. The form of bullying encompasses messages or posts made and sent via cell phones, computers, tablets, social media platforms or websites.

Cyberbullying includes, but is not limited to, harassing, teasing, intimidating, threatening or terrorizing another student or staff member by way of any technological tool, such as sending or posting inappropriate or derogatory e-mail messages, instant messages, text messages, digital pictures or images or website postings, including blogs, according to the Valdosta, Georgia, City Schools Code of Conduct.

Valdosta High School Counselor Brian Law has watched bullying evolve during the span of his 22-year career.

“With new technologies, that’s the form of bullying people now prefer,” Law said. “Technology is a good thing but it can also be a bad thing. I’ve seen it grow. When I first started in counseling in 1996, you didn’t have all that. Back then, it was a he-said/she-said that you could typically track and find the original source.”

The preference for cyberbullying not only stems from the difficulties of tracking it, but from the ability to hide behind a screen, especially as more young students are provided cell phones.

However, cyberbullying isn’t the most popular type of bullying in every school system.

Baldwin County, Georgia, High School Assistant Principal and Bullying Coordinator Markeeta Clayton said if bullying were put on a 100 percent scale, only 30 percent would be cyberbullying within their system. The other 70 would be physical or verbal altercations.

How some schools tackle bullying

All schools have policies in place involving the investigation of bullying reports, whether it’s physical or cyber.

“A student mentions bullying and we’re on it. Any student that comes to me saying they’re being bullied I start an investigative form on them immediately,” Clayton said. “The moment that I find there is an inkling of evidence there that shows there is an issue, then that’s when I actually upload the case to a private Google form shared with my administrators. Then it’s discussed in an administrative meeting. From there we make the determination of whether or not to move forward or if it’s necessary to move forward. Either the case is closed out or it remains open and we continue that investigation always keeping in communication with parents to let them know where we are with that.”

The Colquitt County, Georgia, School System’s anti-bullying effort includes two programs – Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports and the CHAMPS program.

While conduct codes, and the punishment they bring, are the stick, the program is a carrot that looks to reinforce positive behavior, Colquitt Schools Superintendent Doug Howell said.

“This is a program that we think – and Georgia thinks – will make a big difference,” said Howell, who is in his second year as superintendent. “All of our bus drivers have had training, (and) nine of our schools. We’re going to get the other six this year. We should have everybody at least in the first stage of training.”

The Thomasville, Georgia, City Schools system also uses the PBIS program in the hope of helping students better understand the true definition of “bullying.”

“Our PBIS program contains many elements to prevent bullying and students participate in character-building activities,” said Dr. Laine Reichert, Thomasville City Schools superintendent. “We also bring in guest speakers periodically to address topics such as bullying.”

Along with the PBIS program, each of the schools in that school system has trained counselors to receive reports of bullying. Reichert said all certified staff undergoes mandatory compliance training each year “to freshen their awareness of the signs of bullying and how to respond.”

“We are working toward purchasing an app that students could use to anonymously report bullying as well as illegal or violent activities and abuse,” she said.

In the event of discipline in a bullying incident, each city school has “a discipline ladder for offenses,” Reichert said.

Along with these programs, Dalton, Georgia, Public Schools Lead Social Worker Jackie Taylor said the schools “work hard to promote kindness and to create the atmosphere that students know it’s not acceptable to pick on others” and that teachers set up classrooms “as if they were families.”

“A fear of someone different starts the cycle of bullying,” Law said. “In elementary school, it’s important to show everyone’s different and to respect each other. In middle and high school, we look at work traits. There’s bullying happening in the work place and if we don’t start training them now, it goes out into their future jobs.”

Students in Valdosta are also taught about their “digital footprints” and how things posted online never truly go away. “It could affect future scholarships and admissions for these students,” Law said. “Employers look up social media.”

All the schools reviewed as part of the reporting project echoed similar punishment policies, ranging from counseling to expulsion pending the number of times the student has bullied and the severity of the situation.

Lasting effects of bullying

Both the bully and the bullied can suffer long-term consequences beyond just the punishment put forth by the school.

Baldwin High’s Markeeta Clayton said some students may feel anxiety upon re-entering the classroom where the bully is. Dr. Cloise Williams, also of Baldwin High, said it may become a situation where changes will need to be made.

“When we find out whatever the case is and if the two students have to still coexist in a setting we try to put in interventions and accommodations so that we don’t have the situation present itself again because at that point it’s already investigated,” Williams said. “We want to ensure the child who has been bullied is safe has a place to come to when they need to talk about it.”

Law said he has seen some students go as far as self-mutilation over the effects of bullying. He said some students will begin fearing technology if they’ve been a victim of cyberbullying.

“You see grades drop. You see depression,” Law said. “Parents need to be aware of changes such as not wanting to go to school and staying away from technology.”

Battling bullying

While some bullying cases are reported, many others are not, whether because of fear or a discomfort with speaking to adults about the matter. Many schools have policies in place that allow parents and students to report bullying.

Colquitt County School Board policy allows for reporting of bullying by a student, parent, guardian or other stakeholder to an administrator, teacher, counselor or staff member at the student’s school. Reports may be made anonymously. Any staff member who receives a report of bullying is required to promptly document it and forward it to the school’s principal or administrator designated to receive it. System employees who witness bullying or learn a student is being bullied also must report it. Students who suspect another student is being bullied also may notify a staff member.

Tift County Schools has similar policies including schools “encouraging teachers or other school employees, students, parents, guardians, or other persons who have control or charge of a student, either anonymously or in the person’s name, at the person’s option to report or otherwise provide information on bullying activity,” said Dr. Gina Cox, student services director.

Law said he believes parents should play an active role in ensuring their children’s safety from being bullied or becoming one.

“I encourage parents to make sure settings are put up on electronic devices and check phones regularly,” Law said. “They need to know what’s on it and know their kids’ passwords.”

Carver is Lifestyles Editor at the Valdosta, Georgia Daily Times.

The SunLight Project team of journalists who contributed to this report includes Desiree Carver, Alan Mauldin, Charles Oliver, Eve Guevara, Jordan Barela, Jessie R. Box, Gil Pound and Patti Dozier. To contact the team, email sunlightproject@gaflnews.com.