Bullying is on the decline

A national study finds that physical bullying is declining, welcome evidence that programs instituted a few years ago to deter this danger to children are having an effect.

The Department of Justice study, conducted last year, found that reports of physical intimidation dropped from nearly 22 percent in 2003 to less than 15 percent in 2008. The percentage of incidents that rise to the level of outright assault also declined, from 45 percent to just over 38 percent.

It is the second recent study to verify such results.

Experts say that means anti-bullying programs are working.

Bullying became a serious national concern a few years ago when a spate of stories reported a growing numbers of cases of intimidation, and worse, among public school students. One incident from Fluvanna County prompted changes in Virginia law.

If students can be taught not to hurt others, emotionally or physically, they will develop important building blocks for future behavior, experts say. Conversely, bullying in school can herald more serious problems later on.

But the gains are no reason to relax, say the authorities, nor do they represent universal improvements.

“The decline is not happening everywhere,” Marlene Snyder, of Clemson University’s Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life, told the Associated Press. “It’s in schools where adults really understand how detrimental this conduct can be and have made a conscious effort to bring these numbers down.”

Messages about bullying have to be constantly reinforced, and school staff need to be trained and reminded in intervening effectively to stop bullying. To relax efforts could bring a return of this damaging behavior.

But it’s encouraging to know that programs are working. Too often, our efforts against society’s ills seem not to succeed at all, or produce improvements at an excruciatingly slow rate.

“If you pay attention to a phenomenon and devote some resources to dealing with it, praise the Lord, sometimes we actually improve things,” said professor James Garbarino, an expert on childhood aggression from Loyola University.

Amen to that.

Energy into accuracy

Ever wandered down the appliance aisle, eyeing all those Energy Star models, and thought: Wow, this is great. That program really is changing the industry.

Or not.

Turns out, the Environmental Protection Agency program, which is supposed to be a consumer guide toward the most energy-efficient models, really doesn’t make good distinctions among appliances after all.

The agency’s own inspector general found that Energy Star ratings were given to mediocre appliances as well as excellent energy-savers. And some appliances that didn’t earn the rating actually performed better than some that did.

So when 67 percent of dishwashers, 75 percent of dehumidifiers and 79 percent of televisions are labeled “En-ergy Star,” it’s not because the program has been so successful that it has spurred manufacturers to significantly improve their products.

Apparently it’s because the EPA just handed out ratings willy-nilly.