A Solution to Bullying: How Online School Supports Safe Learning

As parents, there is no greater priority than our children’s safety—especially when it comes to their time away from us be it with friends, activities, or especially in school. 

From cyberbullying to schoolyard safety, the challenges our children face can affect their mental health and well-being, leaving us searching for safe and supportive learning solutions.

We understand how it feels to want the best for the children we love. K12 is a company made up of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, siblings, and teachers who value education and care about the future of all kids.  We believe every student deserves a safe space to learn and grow. 

We’re committed to making sure every student feels comfortable and respected so they can focus on school. Because that’s how it should be. 

You can learn more about how we practice that philosophy through our K12 Kindness initiative.

Online School Can Provide a Solution to Bullying

Families just like yours choose online school for many different reasons, including wanting a safe space for students who’ve experienced bullying.

Hear more from parents who may sound a bit like you and your family. 

Parents like Barbie. Her daughter Jaelynn is a 7th grade student who experienced bullying at school because she has some challenges taking tests. Now enrolled in online school, Jaelynn can work at her own pace and gets extra help from her teachers when she needs it. 

“The reason we started with [K12] is because of the smaller class sizes. I was a little bit worried at first because she is kind of shy, and I was worried about her social skills, but we decided that it was the best option because of being bullied and because … she could focus more on her schoolwork.

Barbie, parent¹ 

Spoiler alert: This story involves some pretty cute goats.

Meet Windy. She’s a mom to four kids, including two with special needs. Her daughter Zoe is in 4th grade and her online school provides all the support services she needs for her autism and ADHD— without taking her away from her courses and leaving her feeling excluded from her classmates. 

“Zoe has a lot on her plate with her schedule because she receives so many services with K12. She has occupational therapy, counseling, and speech therapy. So this makes her day longer than if she were in brick-and-mortar school, but she’s not missing anything. If she [were] in brick-and-mortar, they would pull her out of her general ed classes to go to those services. That opens the opportunity for bullying and exclusion. This way, [at] online school, she gets everything … she needs detailed and focused on Zoe specifically.”

Windy, parent²

You can read more about how online school works for Zoe and her siblings. Their story may hit home if you also care for children with special needs or unique medical situations.

Students and parents aren’t the only ones who see the difference online school can make as a solution to bullying. The teachers see it too. Meet Mr. Damian.

“I taught three years before coming here to teach for [K12]. And in those first three years, I saw a lot of kids picking on each other, bullying … and just so many terrible social situations. In my switch to the virtual setting, that kind of thing is now basically gone. Students come in and they get to just make friends, which is fantastic for them.”

Mr. Damian, 5th grade teacher³

You can hear more from Mr. Damian about his passion for creating a welcoming online classroom.

Are you looking for a solution to bullying? Would learning from the comfort and safety of home benefit your child? 

In a survey of parents, 44% said they enrolled their students in a K12-powered school because of safety and/or bullying-related concerns at a previous school.⁴

Find out what K12-powered options are available in your state, or contact an enrollment consultant today to learn more. 

¹Barbie is the parent of a 2023 student at a K12-powered school in CO, and their statement reflects their experience at their child’s school.
²Windy is the parent of a 2022 student at a K12-powered school in CA, and their statement reflects their experience at their child’s school.
³Damian is a 2022 teacher at a K12-powered school in VA, and their statement reflects their experience at their school.
⁴K12 Enrollment Satisfaction Survey, March 2022