Bullying Prevention Community Letter
October 6, 2026
Dear Manistique Area Schools Community,
I’ve been asked recently, “Do you have bullying in your schools?” I answered honestly, “Wherever people routinely gather, in face-to-face social circles or online, in groups, especially where the members are young people learning about themselves and about life, like in schools, there will always be a certain amount of bullying.”
Young people, school-age kids, similar to adults, want to feel a sense of belonging. Where there is self-doubt, where something is new, where relationships are tenuous and in constant motion, there will choices made that “make or break us” or maybe cast us in a poor light. Not everyone is in a place mentally to handle adversity, perhaps. There will be those who maybe are not getting enough attention or peace elsewhere and so attempt to make themselves stand out and maybe take the shortcut of putting others down or in their place, someone who really just wants to be noticed but has learned it is easier to put another person down rather than learn how to shine on their own. Sadly, sometimes kids or adults, seeing this “bully” as getting their way, begin to emulate the bully to likewise get attention, to employ these tactics to now get “their own way.” So educating kids or adults about right vs. wrong, about what is bullying behavior is no simple science as a parent, an educator, family member, or friend. The bully is rewarded when ignored or glorified, in essence when there is not a negative consequence, or an aha moment, and so it can become a behavior that is misinterpreted and perceived as rewarded.
It is hard to talk about, this bullying, because it is often misunderstood. Bullying is an imbalance of power, when someone uses social status, physical intimidation, or embarrassing information to control or harm someone. Bullying is a repeated behavior: sometimes by one person or in group form (think mob mentality), the repetition can come from one person over time or when others (the Lieutenants) join the bully (the Captain) to gang up on someone or another group. The intention of the bullying and of the bully is deliberate; it is meant to threaten or put someone in their place, to inflict pain and create a sense of self-loss. The bully can use fists to the body or fingers on a keyboard, verbal put downs or behind-the-back rumor spreading, insulting threats or “jokes” to one’s face or cyberbullying ambushes with texts and social media campaigns intent on humiliation. The bully can be a strong influence and hold a powerful status. The bully can be someone from a relationship gone wrong; it is hard to talk about because it is commonplace in our society. Can we own a moment when we stop and recognize it when we see it? Easily. Can we jump in or report these incidents when we see it? Well, yes, but that is the hard part, the building of courage to help protect those who may be victims or prey because now an action has to be taken by someone trying to avoid conflict, not become part of it. This is where right must confront wrong, where a decision to do or not do has to be made.
How do we deal with bullying then? The key is to help kids and adults learn how to deal with situations, build skills in recognizing, intervening, and reporting. We have to talk about it and we have to educate ourselves and others. Just writing this community letter is hard because I know we don’t always “get through,” and I would love to live in a world without bullying.
As we enter the month of October, school districts across the country are recognizing National Bullying Prevention Month. This is not just a local initiative; bullying prevention is a critical subject addressed in all schools across all states. In our digital age, the landscape of bullying has shifted dramatically. Cyberbullying and social media mean that the challenges our students face do not end when the school bell rings. Technology has made it significantly harder, not easier, to monitor, manage, and educate young people about healthy social interactions.
Because digital spaces are vast and often hidden from plain sight, schools cannot tackle this issue alone. Ensuring a safe, supportive, and kind environment for our students is a collective responsibility. It truly takes a village to raise a child. We need parents, guardians, business owners, and community mentors to partner with us, to help monitor online behaviors, model empathy, and speak up when something isn’t right. By working together as a united Manistique community, we can surround our youth with the support they need to thrive both online and off.
Respectfully,
Matt Lukshaitis, Superintendent