HONOLULU (KHON2) — Bullying at schools appears to be on the rise, and many parents say they don’t feel enough is being done to keep their children safe.
A 12-year-old at Aliamanu Middle School suffered a concussion and injuries to her face after her mom said she was targeted by 8th graders for nearly a month.
“She went to the vice principal about it and said, ‘Hey, these girls are filming me, I don’t know their names, but I don’t like it, and he said, ‘Okay, I’ll talk to them,’ and my daughter let me know,” explained Jennifer Domingo, the seventh grader’s mom.
That initial incident was on Aug. 11. She says the bullying continued on Aug. 12, and again the week after, and again on Sept. 2. She said her daughter reported it to the school’s vice principal every single time.
Then on Sept. 5, an 8th grader assaulted her daughter at a bus stop. It was captured on video and is too disturbing to show on-air. The video shows a girl trying to take the seventh grader’s phone away. She keeps pushing her, asking her to fight. The seventh grader says multiple times, ‘I do not want to fight you.’
“The girl punched her a couple of times, because she was taunting her, grabbed her by the hair, and she dragged her across the concrete,” Domingo said with tears in her eyes. “She got hit multiple times until her head hit the car.”
Domingo and her daughter met with the principal the following Monday, who asked if the daughter had reported the bullying. The daughter pointed at the vice principal, who allegedly said he told the girls to leave her alone, but nothing else was done.
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“It’s a slap in the face, it is, right now being worried that she has to look over her shoulder,” her mother said. “I feel like, do I have to quit my job to protect her?”
According to the daughter, the bully has not been suspended or expelled.
The Department of Education says it takes every report of bullying seriously.
KHON2 asked if the vice principal was required to document each incident and how many complaints it takes before action is taken, but didn’t hear back.
DOE says it received 45 bullying-related tips on its Speak Now app last school year. Since August 2025, it’s already received 25 bullying reports.
One Campbell High School mom says both her daughters have been bullied by the same girls for years.
Last week, a fight broke out on campus, which was recorded. One of her daughters was hit from behind, defended herself, and was suspended.
“I’ve been to the school multiple times and nothing is being done, they’re still threatening to fight my daughters, and I don’t know what else to do,” the mother told KHON2.
“As parents, we trust the school, we trust the school to watch our kids, we trust that they won’t get hurt, they’re supposed to be safe,” she added.
Both moms are working with the Honolulu Police on the cases.
Both moms worry the bullying will continue, and don’t feel like their children should have to look over their shoulder at school.
KHON2 also asked if the vice principal faces disciplinary action for allegedly not documenting the bullying incidents at Aliamanu Middle School, but again, did not hear back.
Domingo thanks the community for their for their love and support and says “Having the community come together is important to help achieve our goals to make a change for our children.”