Bullied student arrested after bringing knives to school, police say

A student brought a set of steak knives to a Gurnee middle school earlier this month to defend herself against bullying, police said today.

The knives were found in the 14-year-old girl's locker at Viking Middle School, Deputy Police Chief Kevin Woodside said. She didn't hurt anyone or directly threaten other students, he said.

The incident underscores the need for parents to talk with their kids about bullying and to develop strategies for dealing with bullies, Woodside said.

Additionally, if you suspect your child is being bullied, talk to school administrators about the problem, Woodside said.

"Get it out in the open," he said.

The student was arrested Dec. 12 after police learned the girl, who is from Wadsworth, brought the knives to school, Woodside said. They were found in her backpack in her locker, reports indicated.

Other students had told school officials about the knives, police said.

The girl felt she was being bullied, Woodside said. A group of other students was involved, he said, but it was not clear how many were involved in the bullying.

The girl was charged as a juvenile with possession of weapons, and referred to juvenile authorities. Court information was not available.

Woodside said the girl faced disciplinary action at school, too, but Gurnee Elementary District 56 Superintendent John Hutton declined to talk about the incident or the girl.

Hutton said the arrest has spurred him and the school board to develop an anti-bullying program for District 56 that could be implemented for the 2008-09 school year.

"Bullying is something that all schools are dealing with," he said. "One (incident) is too many."