Dover BOE Discusses Spike In Bullying Reports
The district received 170 reports of harassment, intimidation and bullying last year. Officials also reported a decline in student suspensions.
Reports of harassment, intimidation and bullying increased nearly 29%
in Dover Public Schools last school year, but fewer cases were confirmed after
investigations, according to figures presented to the Board of Education.
The district received 170 reports during the 2025-26 school year, up from 132 the
previous year. Of those, 29 were confirmed as harassment, intimidation or bullying,
down from 37 in 2024-25.
Joshua Chuy, the district's coordinator Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying Program, of student performance and strategic planning, presented the findings at the Oct. 13 board meeting.
As part of the discussion, he explained that more reports do not necessarily mean bullying is becoming more common. Chuy said the district takes reports seriously and investigates concerns brought to its attention, even when an incident ultimately does not meet the state's definition of bullying.
"All that means is that we're vigilant when something is brought to our attention, and we
do not take anything lightly," Chuy said.
The percentage of confirmed reports of bullying fell from about 28% to 17%. Of the 170
reports last year, 139 were not confirmed, while two investigations were placed on hold
pending separate proceedings.
Chuy said some cases were not confirmed because there was not enough evidence,
the incidents involved disagreements between students or the circumstances did not
meet the state's requirements for harassment, intimidation or bullying.
Race, weight, physical appearance, gender and sexual orientation were among the
characteristics identified in the district's review of reported incidents.
Chuy said the district wants students and parents to continue reporting concerns while
also helping families better understand what qualifies as bullying under state rules.
The presentation also showed fewer student suspensions across Dover schools.
The district recorded 119 suspension entries last school year, compared with 172 in
2024-25 and 190 in 2023-24.
The number of school days students missed because of suspensions also declined,
from 511 in 2023-24 to 279 last year.
Dover High School saw one of the biggest changes, with suspension entries falling from
110 in 2023-24 to 32 last year. However, Dover Middle School accounted for 129 of the district's 279 suspension days last year, making it an area officials plan to focus on.
Chuy said physical conflicts between students were the most common reason listed for
disciplinary action, followed by students refusing to follow staff directions and
inappropriate behavior toward classmates.
The district also found that disciplinary problems tended to increase during March, April
and May.
Chuy said officials plan to review student behavior earlier in the school year and work
with school administrators to identify problems before they become more serious.
That includes helping students manage disagreements, improving relationships among
classmates and providing additional support to students who are struggling.
Chuy said the district also plans to continue teaching students and parents how to
recognize and report bullying, while making sure concerns are handled consistently
across schools.
He emphasized that improving school safety involves more than simply reducing the
number of reported incidents or suspensions.
"Our goal is to build schools where students feel safe, supported, connected, and
responsible for one another," Chuy said.
Students or parents who believe bullying has occurred can report their concerns to a teacher, principal or other school employee. Dover Public Schools also provides an anonymous online reporting system that notifies the appropriate school's administration. Families can find the reporting form, school-specific access codes and contact information for anti-bullying specialists on the district's website at www.dover-nj.org.
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