Many argue that New York's safety transfer policy helps the bully, instead of helping the victim. Photo by RDNE Stock project via Pexels.
Students should never have to worry about their safety while attending school. However, that is not always the case. There are many instances where students face bullying in school — some so severe, that they avoid attending school entirely.
In an effort to protect victims of bullying, New York City schools introduced its “safety transfer policy,” which allows students to request a transfer to another school if their current environment is unsafe. Contrary to its initial design, the policy has faced a lot of backlash for burdening victims of bullying rather than solving their problems.
Defined as a negative interaction between two parties that includes constant harassment or display of a power imbalance, bullying is extremely common, with around 20% of students experiencing a form of it one way or another. The safety transfer policy was created with the intent to help victims of these situations, giving families of victims the option to request a transfer. Despite its intentions and initial design, however, there are several controversial details about this policy that students and parents find alarming.
For one, a student’s eligibility to qualify for a safety transfer has to be determined by a school official, according to the official DOE document outlining the policy.
It states, “For elementary and middle school students, the SPYFSS Director shall make this determination following a recommendation by the principal/designee. For high school students, the Borough Enrollment Director shall make this determination following a recommendation by the principal/designee.”
In situations for both younger and older students, the eligibility of a safety transfer is determined by a third party. This means that even if the victim provides sufficient evidence, if the said third party does not agree with the report, it will not go through. This is extremely concerning, as a situation may potentially go unresolved, which can put students at risk.
Not only that, but the policy sounds less than savory in the name of justice. Built to relocate victims rather than punishing perpetrators, the policy has left a bad impression on many.
A Cardozo senior previously punished for an act of self defense shared his opinion, stating that the policy, “Pushes aside the problem instead of confronting it,” and that schools should focus more on the prevention of problems instead. “Consequences don’t lead to prevention, and schools need to be more active in the prevention of their students,” the student added.
The concern of this policy comes from not just students. Parents too, are concerned about the effectiveness of this policy, seeing it as more of a punishment for a victim rather than an effective form of protection.
A parent of a Cardozo student explains her stance on the policy, stating, “As a mother of two, I think the automatic transfer of a bullied child is completely unfair. It feels like we’re teaching kids that if they speak up, they’ll be the ones who have to leave. Instead of moving the victim, schools should focus on real consequences for the bully. Our kids deserve to feel safe without losing their sense of belonging.”
Though the safety transfer policy is nothing new to New York, with the implementation of it under DASA (Dignity for All Students Act) since 2012, its outdated nature is a cause of concern. With the amount of data and information gathered from the decade-old policy, there should be a change like other people say — a way to prevent the escalation of situations without punishing those who speak up.
While there are no changes to the policy being announced anytime soon, communities of the school can only hope that perhaps in the near future, there would finally be a policy that would truly help victims of bullying and harassment.