Stories about bullying appear in national headlines almost daily. What once lived mostly in hallways and classrooms now stretches into phones and social media, expanding the ways students can be targeted. Despite the increased attention, experts say the problem hasn’t simply faded—it has evolved.
“Bullying happens everywhere, but I think Englewood is doing a pretty good job at containing the bullying,” teacher and coach Christopher Kavinsky said.
At Englewood High School, some students say they haven’t experienced it firsthand. Sophomore Harper Briggs and senior Eveylen Moreno said they have not experienced any bullying within the walls of the school.
Still, staff members emphasize that not all negative interactions are the same. EHS counselor Dawn Cominsky believes there is a clear distinction between teasing and bullying.
“Teasing, kids aren’t being malicious. They’re just joking around, trying to have fun and, you know, get a laugh. Bullying, that’s just mean, that’s just hardcore, you know, cuts you to the heart.”
National data support the concern. In November of 2023, Pew Research identified nine key facts about bullying. The study found that bullying is among parents’ top concerns for their children. More than 50 percent of U.S. teens said online harassment and cyberbullying are major problems. It also reported that older teen girls are especially likely to have experienced bullying online. Students of color and high schoolers who are gay, lesbian, or bisexual were about twice as likely as their heterosexual peers to say they had been bullied, both at school and online.
Whether students openly acknowledge it or not, counselors at EHS say it is still present. “I think we see a fair share of both,” Cominsky said. She adds that situations often escalate because students are hesitant to report them. “Because nobody wants to be a snitch, right? And so they feel like, if they tell somebody that the boy is going to retaliate on them even more, which, you know, I hate to see that, because if you don’t tell somebody, then it’s going to keep happening, right? So I just think it’s such a hard situation.”
“You know, if you’re upset or how badly it hurts you, emotionally or physically, it’s just awful. I hate it.” Cominsky said she sees students once a week in her office related to the issue.
She believes there is a more constructive path forward through communication and accountability.
“Being upset because of bullying, or just wanting to move schools, or not knowing what to do, because they don’t want it to come back on them. I think the best way to handle it is by having restorative conversations and not just trying to avoid it. Because when you avoid it, you still see that person passing through the halls, but if you come together with adults in the room and have a conversation, both sides get to be heard. I think it helps the bully understand what they’re doing and how it’s affecting the other person.”
