ANSWER: Kids have to learn how to handle peers, but parents should get involved if bullying involves a child, said Gerald J. Bostwick Jr., a professor of social work at University of Cincinnati.

"This type of situation is overwhelming for most children and they need support," he said.

Alert the school principal, even though that can increase the amount of bullying, Bostwick said, and be sure teachers monitor student interactions closely.

If it continues, parents should insist on mediation involving the bully's parents, as well as teachers and administrators, said professor Marvin J. Berlowitz, of UC's Urban Center for Peace Education and Research. (www.uc.edu/urbanpeace)

Mediation programs work if they're ongoing, he said. Educators should get training to create school climates that emphasize cooperation.

Q: I hear that No Child Left Behind mandates schools create a Parental Involvement Policy. Does this mean parents can participate more in making school policies?

A: Andrew Benson, senior policy officer at KnowledgeWorks Foundation, said some school districts have good parent involvement organizations that help set school policies.

Parents for Public Schools is one of them.

But, Benson said, some school systems don't know about No Child Left Behind's provisions.

"These are just words on a page; first they have to be known," he said. "The district has to want to do it. You could comply with this law and it would be window dressing, not a real desire to have parents be involved."

The law says school districts must:

• Get parents' help in writing parental involvement policies and school review and improvement plans

• Tell parents know how and when to help children learn in class and at home, how to volunteer, and how to observe classes

• Evaluate annually its policies and identify barriers to parents being involved.

• Disclose to parents the curricula the school uses, the forms of academic assessment, and proficiency levels students must meet.

• Devise a "School-Parent Compact" including ways parents should support learning, such as by monitoring attendance, homework, and TV time.

"If parents are dissatisfied with the policy, the (school district) shall submit any parent comments with their plan to the ... State Department of Education," the law reads.

The Written Parental Involvement Policy is on Ohio's Department of Education Web site.

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E-mail education questions to damos@enquirer.com