Huntington Beach High School District Board Candidate Edward Pinchiff Announces Support of New Anti-Bullying Initiative

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA, September 29, 2012 (Press-News.org) In May of this year, the Huntington Beach Human Relations Task Force released a report on bullying. The Human Relations Task Force conducted a study on bullying in Huntington Beach that primarily focused on traditional middle and high school students.

The report found that "bullying is a serious problem with long-term consequences which potentially threatens the safety and well-being of Huntington Beach children and young adults" and "it is likely that 28% to 30% of Huntington Beach children are involved in some form of bullying as either a victim or as a bully."

The report also noted that its study on bullying was limited due to a "lack of reliable and valid local data." In other words, Huntington Beach schools lack an adequate reporting system for bullying.

"The results of this report are very troubling," said Edward Pinchiff. "Our schools need to take this issue more seriously."

Edward Pinchiff announced his support of the new anti-bullying initiative, "Be a Buddy, Not a Bully" that Huntington Beach City Councilman Joe Carchio is hoping to launch in October. Mr. Pinchiff also commented that he would like to see the Huntington Beach High School District go further and establish a District wide reporting system for bullying as well as regular surveys of the children. He noted that reliable data and information is the first step to taking concrete action to reduce the level of bullying in the school system.

Enhancing student safety in the schools is one of the top issues Edward Pinchiff intends to address as a member of the Huntington Beach Union High School District Governing Board. "Parents deserve to feel secure entrusting a school with the well-being of their child," he said.

Mr. Pinchiff's campaign website states that he will promote a safe learning environment within the Huntington Beach Union High School District with strong programs to prevent bullying, gang violence, and drug use. He notes that a safe learning environment sets the tone for teaching and learning. Students in a safe learning environment are more likely to attend school, be engaged in the classroom and be prepared to learn.

October is National Anti-Bullying Awareness Month and Mr. Pinchiff would like to see the Huntington Beach Union High School District take steps to raise awareness. He noted that most incidents of bullying go unreported because the students do not feel comfortable reporting the incident to school administration or they do not believe anything will be done about it. He believes that the high schools in Huntington Beach should be taking stronger steps to make it clear that bullying is never acceptable.

About National Anti-Bullying Awareness Month: National Anti-Bullying Awareness Month takes place each October and is intended to encourage communities to take an active role in raising awareness of bullying prevention through events, activities, outreach, and education.

About Edward Pinchiff: Edward Pinchiff (www.edwardpinchiff.com) is a candidate for the Huntington Beach Union High School District Governing Board serving high schools in the Cities of Huntington Beach, Westminster and Fountain Valley. He is running on a platform of Educational Excellence, a Safe Learning Environment, Sound Fiscal Management, and Government Transparency. The campaign also has a Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/JoinEdwardPinchiff.

Edward Pinchiff believes in the power of education to create opportunity for our children's future, to make their lives more meaningful, and to help our communities prosper.