School District of Philadelphia Bullying Policy
(Adopted by the SRC on December 17, 2008)
Resolved, that the School Reform Commission hereby adopts the attached primary Policy on Bullying and its prevention/intervention in order to ensure compliance with HB 1067 (PA), amending "Article XIII-A Safe Schools" in the Pennsylvania School Code of 1949, that requires each school entity to adopt a policy relating to bullying.
The School Reform Commission (SRC) is committed to providing a safe, positive learning environment for district students. The SRC recognizes the negative impact that bullying has on student health, welfare, and safety and on the learning environment at school. The SRC recognizes that bullying creates an atmosphere of fear and intimidation, detracts from the safe environment necessary for student learning, and may lead to more serious violence. The SRC prohibits bullying by district students and personnel.
Definition:
Bullying is characterized by the following three (3) criteria:
- It is aggressive behavior or intentional harm doing.
- It is carried out repeatedly over time.
- It occurs within an interpersonal relationship where there is an imbalance of power (e.g. one person is physically larger, stronger, mentally quicker or socially more powerful).
Bullying, as defined in this policy, refers to direct or indirect action, which may include but is not limited to:
- Physical: hitting, kicking, pushing, shoving, getting another person to hurt someone;
- Verbal: racial slurs, name-calling, teasing, taunting, verbal sexual harassment, gossiping, spreading rumor; or
- Non-Verbal: threatening, obscene gestures, isolation, exclusion, stalking, cyber-bullying (bullying that occurs by use of electronic or communication devices through means of email, instant messaging, text messages, blogs, photo and video sharing, chat rooms, bash boards, or websites)
Bullying is the intentionally harmful (electronic, written, verbal, non-verbal, psychological or physical) act or series of acts that is directed at another person, in and/or outside of a school setting or using school property and is severe, persistent, or pervasive and has the effect of doing the following:
- Substantial interference with a student’s education
- Creation of a threatening environment
- Substantial disruption of the orderly operation of the school
School setting means in the school, on school grounds, in school vehicles, at a designated school bus stop or at any activity sponsored, supervised or sanctioned by the school. School property means the school computer or telephone.
Authority:
The SRC prohibits all forms of bullying.
The SRC encourages students who have been bullied or witnesses bullying to immediately report such incidents to the building administrator or manager of non-instructional support services. If there is no response, the target of such acts is encouraged to report the incident to the regional office and the district’s Bullying Hotline (215-400-SAFE).
The SRC directs that complaints of bullying shall be investigated promptly and thoroughly, and corrective action shall be taken when allegations are verified. Confidentiality of all parties shall be maintained, consistent with the district’s legal and investigative obligations. No reprisals or retaliation shall occur as a result of good faith reports of bullying.
Delegation for Responsibility:
Each adult and student shall be responsible to respect the rights of others and to ensure an atmosphere that is conducive to learning and free from bullying.
The Superintendent (or designee) shall develop administrative regulations to implement this policy.
The Superintendent (or designee) shall ensure that this policy and administrative regulations are reviewed annually with staff, students, and parents.
The Superintendent (or designee), in cooperation with other appropriate administrators, shall review this policy every three (3) years and recommend necessary revisions to the SRC.
District administration shall annually provide the following information with the Safe School Report:
- SRC’s Bullying Policy
- Report of bullying incidents
- Information on the development and implementation of any and all research-based bullying prevention and intervention programs.
Guideline:
The Student Code of Conduct, which shall contain this policy, shall be disseminated annually to students.
This policy shall be accessible in every classroom. The policy shall be posted in a prominent location within each school building and on the district web site.
This policy will be reviewed with every district student within 90 days after the adoption by the SRC, and annually on the first day of school thereafter.
Education:
The district shall implement research-based bullying prevention and intervention programs. Such programs shall provide training for district staff for effectively responding to, intervening in and reporting incidents of bullying.
All district bullying prevention and intervention efforts shall be aligned with the framework of the research-based Blueprint Olweus Bullying Prevention Program and shall be approved by the district’s Bullying Prevention Coordinator in the Office of School Climate and Safety.
Consequences for Violations:
Upon receipt of a complaint of bullying, the principal or manager of non-instructional support services shall meet with the student(s) who is bullied and student(s) who bullies separately, starting with the student(s) who is bullied, and investigate the reported allegations.
If the allegations are confirmed, the principal or manager of non-instructional support services shall do the following:
- Inform the student who bullies the results of the investigation
- Review the definition of bullying and the district’s policy on bullying
- Give the consequences for the behavior relative to the number of offenses and the severity of the behavior.
- Notify the parents of the student(s) who bullies, including the actions of the student and the consequences.
A student who violates this policy shall be subject to the following disciplinary procedure:
- First Offense: Documented warning and parent notification
- Second Offense: Parent conference, loss of school privileges, exclusion from school-sponsored activities, detention, or counseling within the school
- Third Offense: Suspension or transfer to another classroom, school building or school bus
Depending on the severity of the incident, cases of bullying may immediately warrant the disciplinary actions of a third offense and may result in expulsion and/or referral to law enforcement officials.
Programs & Services
OSCS Bullying/Violence Prevention Programs, Services, and Training Topics
OSCS, Safety Programs – Readiness & Emergency Management Operations’ services and activities promote and support “Single School Culture” via:
- Technical Assistance
- Training and Professional Development
- Prevention/Intervention Resources
- Parent, Family & Community Training, Supports and Services
- Bullying Prevention Incident Management
Bullying/Violence Prevention Programs and Training Topics:
- Single School Culture Training and Supports
- Olweus Bullying Prevention Program
- Bullying Prevention and Intervention
- SDP Policy and HB 1067 Compliance Activities and Supports
- Socialized Recess Training and Support
- Peer Mediation
- Conflict Resolution
- Student Engagement
- De-Escalation
- Female Relational Aggression
- Cyber-Bullying
- Class Meetings
- Adult/Workplace Bullying
To request bullying/violence prevention training or supports, contact:
Office of School Climate and Safety
Safety Programs-Readiness and Emergency Management Operations
Germantown High School, 70's wing
40 East High Street
Philadelphia, PA 19144
(215) 951-7892
Warning Signs for Children Who Are Bullied
Physical:
- Frequently complains of illness (e.g., headaches, stomach aches, etc.)
- Has anxiety when encountering peers
- Sudden change or loss of appetite
- Has scars, scratches, or bruises with no logical explanation
- Frequently has damaged or missing belongings
Academic:
- Skips class or skips school altogether
- Has changes in school work (e.g., poor grades, incomplete assignments, etc.)
- Has difficulty concentrating and remaining on task
- Does not enjoy going to lunch and/or recess
- Lack of interest in school-related and extracurricular activities
Social:
- Has very few or no friends
- Likes to be around adults rather than other children
- Has difficulty standing up for him/herself
- Often complains of other children teasing, picking on, or laughing at him/her
- May frequently irritate others (even adults)
Emotional:
- Is unhappy, depressed, and/or moody
- Shy, quiet, passive, withdrawn, and/or timid,
- Has poor self esteem
- Often anxious, nervous, cautious, worried, and/or fearful
- Has thoughts of suicide and possibly even homicide
Warning Signs for Children Who Bully Others
- Enjoys feelings of power and control
- Constantly seeks the attention of others (even negative attention)
- Likes to dominate others
- Gains satisfaction from hurting others
- Has a bad temper; gets angry easily; impulsive
- Has little or no compassion for others when they are hurt; lacks empathy
- May have difficulty making and keeping friends
- Frequently disregards rules and gets in trouble
- Good at talking him/herself out of trouble, manipulative
- Disrespectful, hostile, or aggressive towards adults
- May be popular with other children
- Has average or above average self-esteem; overly confident
- Has poor supervision and parental involvement at home
- Has harsh physical discipline at home
- Has trouble taking responsibility for his or her own actions; often blames others
- Hangs around peers with accepting attitudes towards violence
- Has little emotional support at home
School District of Philadelphia Bullying Policy
(Adopted by the SRC on December 17, 2008)
Resolved, that the School Reform Commission hereby adopts the attached primary Policy on Bullying and its prevention/intervention in order to ensure compliance with HB 1067 (PA), amending "Article XIII-A Safe Schools" in the Pennsylvania School Code of 1949, that requires each school entity to adopt a policy relating to bullying.
The School Reform Commission (SRC) is committed to providing a safe, positive learning environment for district students. The SRC recognizes the negative impact that bullying has on student health, welfare, and safety and on the learning environment at school. The SRC recognizes that bullying creates an atmosphere of fear and intimidation, detracts from the safe environment necessary for student learning, and may lead to more serious violence. The SRC prohibits bullying by district students and personnel.
Definition:
Bullying is characterized by the following three (3) criteria:
- It is aggressive behavior or intentional harm doing.
- It is carried out repeatedly over time.
- It occurs within an interpersonal relationship where there is an imbalance of power (e.g. one person is physically larger, stronger, mentally quicker or socially more powerful).
Bullying, as defined in this policy, refers to direct or indirect action, which may include but is not limited to:
- Physical: hitting, kicking, pushing, shoving, getting another person to hurt someone;
- Verbal: racial slurs, name-calling, teasing, taunting, verbal sexual harassment, gossiping, spreading rumor; or
- Non-Verbal: threatening, obscene gestures, isolation, exclusion, stalking, cyber-bullying (bullying that occurs by use of electronic or communication devices through means of email, instant messaging, text messages, blogs, photo and video sharing, chat rooms, bash boards, or websites)
Bullying is the intentionally harmful (electronic, written, verbal, non-verbal, psychological or physical) act or series of acts that is directed at another person, in and/or outside of a school setting or using school property and is severe, persistent, or pervasive and has the effect of doing the following:
- Substantial interference with a student’s education
- Creation of a threatening environment
- Substantial disruption of the orderly operation of the school
School setting means in the school, on school grounds, in school vehicles, at a designated school bus stop or at any activity sponsored, supervised or sanctioned by the school. School property means the school computer or telephone.
Authority:
The SRC prohibits all forms of bullying.
The SRC encourages students who have been bullied or witnesses bullying to immediately report such incidents to the building administrator or manager of non-instructional support services. If there is no response, the target of such acts is encouraged to report the incident to the regional office and the district’s Bullying Hotline (215-400-SAFE).
The SRC directs that complaints of bullying shall be investigated promptly and thoroughly, and corrective action shall be taken when allegations are verified. Confidentiality of all parties shall be maintained, consistent with the district’s legal and investigative obligations. No reprisals or retaliation shall occur as a result of good faith reports of bullying.
Delegation for Responsibility:
Each adult and student shall be responsible to respect the rights of others and to ensure an atmosphere that is conducive to learning and free from bullying.
The Superintendent (or designee) shall develop administrative regulations to implement this policy.
The Superintendent (or designee) shall ensure that this policy and administrative regulations are reviewed annually with staff, students, and parents.
The Superintendent (or designee), in cooperation with other appropriate administrators, shall review this policy every three (3) years and recommend necessary revisions to the SRC.
District administration shall annually provide the following information with the Safe School Report:
- SRC’s Bullying Policy
- Report of bullying incidents
- Information on the development and implementation of any and all research-based bullying prevention and intervention programs.
Guideline:
The Student Code of Conduct, which shall contain this policy, shall be disseminated annually to students.
This policy shall be accessible in every classroom. The policy shall be posted in a prominent location within each school building and on the district web site.
This policy will be reviewed with every district student within 90 days after the adoption by the SRC, and annually on the first day of school thereafter.
Education:
The district shall implement research-based bullying prevention and intervention programs. Such programs shall provide training for district staff for effectively responding to, intervening in and reporting incidents of bullying.
All district bullying prevention and intervention efforts shall be aligned with the framework of the research-based Blueprint Olweus Bullying Prevention Program and shall be approved by the district’s Bullying Prevention Coordinator in the Office of School Climate and Safety.
Consequences for Violations:
Upon receipt of a complaint of bullying, the principal or manager of non-instructional support services shall meet with the student(s) who is bullied and student(s) who bullies separately, starting with the student(s) who is bullied, and investigate the reported allegations.
If the allegations are confirmed, the principal or manager of non-instructional support services shall do the following:
- Inform the student who bullies the results of the investigation
- Review the definition of bullying and the district’s policy on bullying
- Give the consequences for the behavior relative to the number of offenses and the severity of the behavior.
- Notify the parents of the student(s) who bullies, including the actions of the student and the consequences.
A student who violates this policy shall be subject to the following disciplinary procedure:
- First Offense: Documented warning and parent notification
- Second Offense: Parent conference, loss of school privileges, exclusion from school-sponsored activities, detention, or counseling within the school
- Third Offense: Suspension or transfer to another classroom, school building or school bus
Depending on the severity of the incident, cases of bullying may immediately warrant the disciplinary actions of a third offense and may result in expulsion and/or referral to law enforcement officials.
Programs & Services
OSCS Bullying/Violence Prevention Programs, Services, and Training Topics
OSCS, Safety Programs – Readiness & Emergency Management Operations’ services and activities promote and support “Single School Culture” via:
- Technical Assistance
- Training and Professional Development
- Prevention/Intervention Resources
- Parent, Family & Community Training, Supports and Services
- Bullying Prevention Incident Management
Bullying/Violence Prevention Programs and Training Topics:
- Single School Culture Training and Supports
- Olweus Bullying Prevention Program
- Bullying Prevention and Intervention
- SDP Policy and HB 1067 Compliance Activities and Supports
- Socialized Recess Training and Support
- Peer Mediation
- Conflict Resolution
- Student Engagement
- De-Escalation
- Female Relational Aggression
- Cyber-Bullying
- Class Meetings
- Adult/Workplace Bullying
To request bullying/violence prevention training or supports, contact:
Office of School Climate and Safety
Safety Programs-Readiness and Emergency Management Operations
Germantown High School, 70's wing
40 East High Street
Philadelphia, PA 19144
(215) 951-7892
School District of Philadelphia Bullying Policy
(Adopted by the SRC on December 17, 2008)
Resolved, that the School Reform Commission hereby adopts the attached primary Policy on Bullying and its prevention/intervention in order to ensure compliance with HB 1067 (PA), amending "Article XIII-A Safe Schools" in the Pennsylvania School Code of 1949, that requires each school entity to adopt a policy relating to bullying.
The School Reform Commission (SRC) is committed to providing a safe, positive learning environment for district students. The SRC recognizes the negative impact that bullying has on student health, welfare, and safety and on the learning environment at school. The SRC recognizes that bullying creates an atmosphere of fear and intimidation, detracts from the safe environment necessary for student learning, and may lead to more serious violence. The SRC prohibits bullying by district students and personnel.
Definition:
Bullying is characterized by the following three (3) criteria:
- It is aggressive behavior or intentional harm doing.
- It is carried out repeatedly over time.
- It occurs within an interpersonal relationship where there is an imbalance of power (e.g. one person is physically larger, stronger, mentally quicker or socially more powerful).
Bullying, as defined in this policy, refers to direct or indirect action, which may include but is not limited to:
- Physical: hitting, kicking, pushing, shoving, getting another person to hurt someone;
- Verbal: racial slurs, name-calling, teasing, taunting, verbal sexual harassment, gossiping, spreading rumor; or
- Non-Verbal: threatening, obscene gestures, isolation, exclusion, stalking, cyber-bullying (bullying that occurs by use of electronic or communication devices through means of email, instant messaging, text messages, blogs, photo and video sharing, chat rooms, bash boards, or websites)
Bullying is the intentionally harmful (electronic, written, verbal, non-verbal, psychological or physical) act or series of acts that is directed at another person, in and/or outside of a school setting or using school property and is severe, persistent, or pervasive and has the effect of doing the following:
- Substantial interference with a student’s education
- Creation of a threatening environment
- Substantial disruption of the orderly operation of the school
School setting means in the school, on school grounds, in school vehicles, at a designated school bus stop or at any activity sponsored, supervised or sanctioned by the school. School property means the school computer or telephone.
Authority:
The SRC prohibits all forms of bullying.
The SRC encourages students who have been bullied or witnesses bullying to immediately report such incidents to the building administrator or manager of non-instructional support services. If there is no response, the target of such acts is encouraged to report the incident to the regional office and the district’s Bullying Hotline (215-400-SAFE).
The SRC directs that complaints of bullying shall be investigated promptly and thoroughly, and corrective action shall be taken when allegations are verified. Confidentiality of all parties shall be maintained, consistent with the district’s legal and investigative obligations. No reprisals or retaliation shall occur as a result of good faith reports of bullying.
Delegation for Responsibility:
Each adult and student shall be responsible to respect the rights of others and to ensure an atmosphere that is conducive to learning and free from bullying.
The Superintendent (or designee) shall develop administrative regulations to implement this policy.
The Superintendent (or designee) shall ensure that this policy and administrative regulations are reviewed annually with staff, students, and parents.
The Superintendent (or designee), in cooperation with other appropriate administrators, shall review this policy every three (3) years and recommend necessary revisions to the SRC.
District administration shall annually provide the following information with the Safe School Report:
- SRC’s Bullying Policy
- Report of bullying incidents
- Information on the development and implementation of any and all research-based bullying prevention and intervention programs.
Guideline:
The Student Code of Conduct, which shall contain this policy, shall be disseminated annually to students.
This policy shall be accessible in every classroom. The policy shall be posted in a prominent location within each school building and on the district web site.
This policy will be reviewed with every district student within 90 days after the adoption by the SRC, and annually on the first day of school thereafter.
Education:
The district shall implement research-based bullying prevention and intervention programs. Such programs shall provide training for district staff for effectively responding to, intervening in and reporting incidents of bullying.
All district bullying prevention and intervention efforts shall be aligned with the framework of the research-based Blueprint Olweus Bullying Prevention Program and shall be approved by the district’s Bullying Prevention Coordinator in the Office of School Climate and Safety.
Consequences for Violations:
Upon receipt of a complaint of bullying, the principal or manager of non-instructional support services shall meet with the student(s) who is bullied and student(s) who bullies separately, starting with the student(s) who is bullied, and investigate the reported allegations.
If the allegations are confirmed, the principal or manager of non-instructional support services shall do the following:
- Inform the student who bullies the results of the investigation
- Review the definition of bullying and the district’s policy on bullying
- Give the consequences for the behavior relative to the number of offenses and the severity of the behavior.
- Notify the parents of the student(s) who bullies, including the actions of the student and the consequences.
A student who violates this policy shall be subject to the following disciplinary procedure:
- First Offense: Documented warning and parent notification
- Second Offense: Parent conference, loss of school privileges, exclusion from school-sponsored activities, detention, or counseling within the school
- Third Offense: Suspension or transfer to another classroom, school building or school bus
Depending on the severity of the incident, cases of bullying may immediately warrant the disciplinary actions of a third offense and may result in expulsion and/or referral to law enforcement officials.
Germantown High School, 70's wing
40 East High Street
Philadelphia, PA 19144
(215) 951-7892
Warning Signs for Children Who Are Bullied
Physical:
- Frequently complains of illness (e.g., headaches, stomach aches, etc.)
- Has anxiety when encountering peers
- Sudden change or loss of appetite
- Has scars, scratches, or bruises with no logical explanation
- Frequently has damaged or missing belongings
Academic:
- Skips class or skips school altogether
- Has changes in school work (e.g., poor grades, incomplete assignments, etc.)
- Has difficulty concentrating and remaining on task
- Does not enjoy going to lunch and/or recess
- Lack of interest in school-related and extracurricular activities
Social:
- Has very few or no friends
- Likes to be around adults rather than other children
- Has difficulty standing up for him/herself
- Often complains of other children teasing, picking on, or laughing at him/her
- May frequently irritate others (even adults)
Emotional:
- Is unhappy, depressed, and/or moody
- Shy, quiet, passive, withdrawn, and/or timid,
- Has poor self esteem
- Often anxious, nervous, cautious, worried, and/or fearful
- Has thoughts of suicide and possibly even homicide
Warning Signs for Children Who Bully Others
- Enjoys feelings of power and control
- Constantly seeks the attention of others (even negative attention)
- Likes to dominate others
- Gains satisfaction from hurting others
- Has a bad temper; gets angry easily; impulsive
- Has little or no compassion for others when they are hurt; lacks empathy
- May have difficulty making and keeping friends
- Frequently disregards rules and gets in trouble
- Good at talking him/herself out of trouble, manipulative
- Disrespectful, hostile, or aggressive towards adults
- May be popular with other children
- Has average or above average self-esteem; overly confident
- Has poor supervision and parental involvement at home
- Has harsh physical discipline at home
- Has trouble taking responsibility for his or her own actions; often blames others
- Hangs around peers with accepting attitudes towards violence
- Has little emotional support at home
Reporting School Incidents to the Bullying Hotline
Students who have been bullied or witnessed bullying should immediately report such incidents to the school principal or manager of non-instructional school services. If there is no response, then the incident should be reported to the regional office. As a last resort, please call the districts's Bullying Hotline.If you would like to report any serious incidents (i.e., assaults, gangs, harrassment, crimes, etc.) that occured in school or while traveling to and from school please call our anonymous 24-hour hotline:
| Bullying Hotline | 215-400-SAFE |
| 215-400-7233 | |
| Teacher Assault Hotline | 215-400-STOP |
For Parents
What Can Parents/Guardians Do…
If Your Child is Bullied at School
- Take a breath, relax - it’s important that you approach the situation with an open mind
- Ask questions, gain information from your child, listen to and support your child
- Name all those involved.
- How long has it happened?
- Who did you tell?
- What did they do?
- Begin communication with the school - talk to your child’s teacher
- Take action by offering your child positive strategies
- If the problem continues, immediately report the incident to the Principal (or Manager of Non-Instructional School Services)
- If there is no response, contact the regional office and the District’s bullying hotline (215) 400-SAFE
- Seek professional assistance for your child, if necessary
What DOESN’T Work
- Encouraging your child to fight back
- Blaming the school/teacher
- Encouraging your child to ignore it
- Approaching the child who is bullying Did you know…Olweus’ study shows bullies identified by age eight are four times more likely to be convicted of a crime by the age of 24 and five times more likely than non-bullies to have serious criminal records by the age of 30?
If Your Child Bullies Others at School?
- Communicate directly to your child:
- I know you have been involved in bullying
- Bullying is a serious behavior that is hurtful to others
- Additional bullying behavior will not be tolerated
- I am working with your school to monitor your future behavior and/or activities
- Bullying may result in suspension, expulsion, and possible criminal charges
- Impose sanctions at home for bullying
- Maintain open communication with school staff
- Monitor your child’s activities and peer group
- Help your child develop positive behavior patterns
- Seek professional assistance for your child, if necessary
What DOESN’T Work
- Blaming the victim
- Ignoring the problem
- Protecting your child from consequences
- Denial
Always look for warning signs that may tell you if your child is being bullied or bullying someone else.
What Can Students Do If They are Bullied?
- Tell an adult (at home and at school)
- Be assertive, NOT aggressive
- Assertive means looking the person in the eye and tellin them clearly and confidently, "Stop It!"
- Aggressive means getting physical with the person and this is the wrong way to handle a bullying situation.
- Give a neutral verbal response to de-escalate the situation (e.g., Say to the perpetrator, “So” or “Whatever”)
- Communicate desires in a firm, calm voice (e.g., “Go away and stop bothering me!”)
Always know when to walk away! Your safety is the most important thing!
To ensure your safety:
- Don’t go places where bullies hang out
- Travel with others; avoid walking alone
- Beware of signs that suggest the bullying is becoming violent (e.g., Pay attention to body language, take notice when the bullying behavior becomes physical and more aggressive, etc.)
- Immediately get adult assistance if the bully has a weapon
- Know your surroundings - Always know where to go for help
Never be embarrassed to ask for help!
Did you know…Almost 50% of teens see at least one bullying or taunting incident in school every day. Almost 30% see such episodes at least once a week.
For Educators
Did you know…
- A study by the National Crime Prevention Council found that 42% of teens see at least one bullying or taunting incident in school every day. An additional 26% see such episodes once a week.
- The U.S. Secret Service found that 71% of school attackers were bullied prior to the attack thus making the most common characteristic of school attackers the fact that they were victims of bullying.
Bullying affects your school’s climate when:
- There is insufficient or ineffective adult supervision
- Staff and/or students have indifferent or accepting attitudes towards bullying (e.g. “it’s none of my business”, “kids will be kids”)
- There is no bullying prevention program in place
Without proper intervention and prevention strategies in place, students become fearful and the climate of the school is then characterized by fear and disrespect.
What can schools do:
- Consistently enforce the District’s policy against bullying
- Include bullying prevention and intervention in your school’s plan for “Single School Culture”
- Utilize research-based interventions and evidence-based programming that are aligned with the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program
- Train all staff in bullying prevention and intervention
- Develop and implement school-specific rules against bullying and reinforce positive behaviors school-wide
- Hold regular class meetings to teach children social skills (e.g. friendship, respect, how to get along with someone who is different, etc.)
- Encourage positive relationships between adults and children
- Model the positive behavior that is desired among children
Always look for warning signs of children who bully and children who are bullied!
When you have suspicions of bullying:
- Collect as much information as possible
- Communicate your suspicions with the rest of the staff
- Contact the parents of the students involved
- Seek professional assistance, if necessary
When a student reports they have been bullied:
- Identify possible sources of relevant information (e.g. classroom teachers, staff, counselors, parents, and/or witnesses, etc.)
- Interview information sources and gather the facts/evidence
- Make a judgment by weighing the evidence and assessing the credibility of the information
- Document all information gathered and develop an action plan for an appropriate response
- Communicate the action plan to key members of the school community to prevent and mitigate future occurrences
Strategies of for Conducting a Successful Interview:
- Remember an interview is not an interrogation
- Write a checklist of what you need to inquire about before the interview
- Encourage full disclosure
- Do not ask specific questions that may be leading (e.g., “Tell me everything you remember including what you saw and heard.”)
- Frame the entire incident by asking follow-up questions to ensure an actual chronological report (e.g., “What happened next? Is there anything else you remember or left out?”)
- Make a judgment based only on the evidence and facts present, eliminating all pre-conclusions and assumptions
- Get help from an adult when you see or hear someone being bullied
- Avoid gossip; refuse to spread rumors
- Refuse to join in when someone is being bullied
- Create a distraction to draw the bully/bullies away
- Include someone who is being left out from an activity
- Speak up when someone is being bullied
The fact is that most bystanders at least KNOW the bullying is wrong, but only 35% actually do something to help. To stop this epidemic from spreading, everyone must get involved. So if you see it or hear it happening, do something!
Anti Bullying Resources
Books
- Bullying at School: What We Know and What We Can Do, by Dan Olweus.
- Blueprints for Violence Prevention: Bullying Prevention Program, by Dan Olweus and Susan Limber.
- The Bully Free Classroom, by Allan L. Beane, Ph.D. www.bullyfree.com
- Bully Proofing Your School, by Marla Bonds and Sally Stoker.
- Bullying in Schools: What You Need to Know, by Paul Langan.
- Bullying in Schools, by Rana Sampson.
- Games We Should Play in School, by Frank Aycox.
- The Morning Meeting by Roxann Kriete.
- Quit It!, by Nancy Mullin-Rindler, et. Al.
- Bully Proof, by Nan Stein and Lisa Sjostrom.
- Ways We Want Our Class To Be, by Developmental Studies Center.
- Flirting or Hurting?, by Nan Stein and Lisa Sjostrom.
- Gender Violence, Gender Justice, by Nan Stein and Dominic Cappello.
- Bullies & Victims, by Suellen & Paula Fried
- Girl Wars: 12 Strategies to End Female Bullying, by Cheryl Dellasega & Charisse Nixon
- Odd Girl Out, by Rachel Simmons
- Bullies and Victims, by Suellen and Paula Fried
- Queen Bees and Wannabes, by Rosalind Wiseman
- A Parent’s Book About Bullying, by William Voors
- Mean Chicks, Cliques, and Dirty Tricks, by Ericka V. Shearin Karres
- Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats, by Nancy E. Willard
- Generation MySpace, by Candice M. Kelsey
Videos
- Real Kids: What We’ve Learned About Bullying, available from Sunburst Visual Media, www.sunburst.com.
- Gossiping, Taunting, Bullying: It’s All Harassment, available from Sunburst Visual Media, www.sunburst.com.
(Note: Other videos are available from Sunburst Visual Media to address bullying and other related topics such as respect, teasing, etc.)
- Don’t Laugh at Me, available from Operation Respect, www.dontlaugh.org.
- The In Crowd and Social Cruelty, available from ABC News Store, www.abcnewsstore.com.
- Set Straight on Bullies, available from National School Safety Center, www.nssc1.org.
- Sticks & Stones: The Truth About Bullying, available from Clemson University
- Ways We Want Our Class To Be (4 videos), available from Developmental Studies Center, www.devstu.org.
Websites
- Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, www.olweus.org
- Don’t Laugh At Me, www.dontlaugh.org
- National Crime Prevention Council, www.ncpc.org (search bullying)
- Stop Bullying Now, www.stopbullyingnow.org
- The Ophelia Project, www.opheliaproject.org
- National Bullying Awareness Campaign, www.nea.org/schoolsafety/bullying.html
- National Bullying Prevention Campaign, Take A Stand. Lend A Hand. Stop Bullying Now! www.stopbullyingnow.org is a web site for children and adults developed by the Health Resources and Services Administration's Maternal and Child Health Bureau in partnerships with many individuals and organizations.
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