Siano said school officials are responsible for investigating all reported cases of bullying.

“Where there are cases of bullying, we intervene,” Siano said.

He said the punishment varies with each case.

“The act of bullying and the issues relating to bullying should not be tolerated,” he said. “There should be serious ramifications to those matters.”

Siano said children should be welcomed to school in a safe, positive environment where they can learn. Students who interrupt that atmosphere should know their behavior won’t be tolerated.

He said principals and teachers at each school site intervene on a regular basis when they feel it’s necessary.

Siano said there are intervention programs that focus on the negative impacts in schools and are in place for students.

“For instance, Rachel’s Challenge,” Siano said. “Those types of programs and those type of efforts bring to light the impact bullying has on students and the education environment.”

In September, all NPS secondary school will implement Rachel’s Challenge, a program that was named after Rachel Scott who was killed April 20, 1999, in the Columbine High School massacre in Littleton, Colo. Darrell Scott founded the non-profit organization in 2001 in honor of his late daughter to carry on her wish to begin a chain reaction of kindness and good deeds.

Sharon Heatly, NPS director of guidance and counseling, said children develop this particular type of aggressive behavior and continue with it because they feel a sense of empowerment over others.

“Bullying has always been around but it seems for a variety of reasons we are seeing more bullying behavior. As educators and adults, we are more aware of bullying behavior,” she said.

Heatly said children who are teased by classmates and bullied do suffer.

“It definitely affects how they feel about themselves,” Heatly said.

She said students may possess low self-esteem and might become truant because they don’t want to face the person or group of people who torment them. Also, children can become overdependent on adult figures.

Heatly said the behavior has the possibility of continuing into adulthood.