HCPSS Board Policy 1060:

Bullying, Cyberbullying, Harassment or Intimidation

Effective: July 1, 2009

History/Rationale for Policy

• Safe Schools Reporting Act (2005)

• House Bill 199 (2009)

• Purpose - to establish expectations for maintaining a safe and respectful school climate or workplace where bullying, cyberbullying, harassment and intimidation are not tolerated.

Definitions

Bullying Intentional conduct, including verbal, physical,

or written conduct, or an intentional electronic communication that creates a hostile educational environment by substantially interfering with a student’s or staff member’s educational benefits, opportunities, or performance, or with their physical or psychological well-being and is:

Bullying motivated by an actual or a perceived personal

characteristic including race, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, ancestry, physical attributes, socioeconomic status, familial status, physical or mental ability or disability, or

threatening or seriously intimidating; and

occurs on school property at a school activity or event or on a school bus; or

substantially disrupts the orderly operation of a school or workplace.

DefinitionsHarassment

A sufficiently severe action or persistent, pervasive

pattern of actions or statements, directed at an

identifiable individual or group, that is intended to be,

or which a reasonable person would perceive as,

ridiculing or demeaning.

DefinitionsIntimidation

Subjection to intentional action that seriously

threatens and induces a sense of fear and/or

inferiority which adversely affects one’s ability to

participate in or benefit from the educational or

work setting.

DefinitionsCyberbullying

Harassing, humiliating, intimidating, and/or

threatening others on the Internet or via cell

phones and other electronic communication

(e.g.,emails, web pages, instant messaging).

Policy 1060 Implementation

Principals:

provide annual written notice that bullying, cyberbullying,harassment, intimidation, or retaliation are prohibited in the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS).

provide annual notice of the general provisions of thispolicy to all students, staff, parents, and service providers in their schools.

are responsible for ensuring that Safe School Act Reporting and having forms available and accessible to students, staff, and parents.

Policy 1060 Implementation

Principals:

will comply with the Safe Schools Reporting Act of 2005 with regard to the prompt investigation of incidents of bullyingby taking action within two school days after receipt of the Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation Reporting Form.

will ensure that collaboration occurs with families and the community to inform parents about the prevalence, causes and consequences of bullying and its impact on public health.

Policy 1060 Implementation

Faculty:

Administrators and all staff will implement school-wide evidence-based anti-bullying programs using positive behavioralsupports and as part of school improvement efforts to address safeand nurturing environments.

Elementary classroom/secondary health education teachers will implement the curriculum for the prevention and intervention of bullying for all students in pre-kindergarten through grade nineby teaching the Essential Health Education Curriculum

School principals/supervisors are responsible for ensuring that professional development occurs annually.

Bullying is an old problem…

That isn’t funny…..

Impact…• Stresses of being bullied can interfere with student’s

engagement and learning in school (NEA Today, 1999).

• Children and youth who are bullied are more likely than other children to be depressed, lonely, anxious, have low self-esteem, feel unwell, and think about suicide (Limber, 2002; Olweus, 1993).

• Students who are bullied may fear going to school, using the bathroom, and riding on the school bus (NEA 1, 2003).

• Bullying also has an impact on other students at school who are bystanders to bullying (Banks, 1997).

• Bullying creates a climate of fear and disrespect in schools and has a negative impact on student learning (NEA 1, 2003).

Prevalence • 160,000 students skip school each day due to fear of bullies

(National Association of School Psychologists in Bethesda)

• 75% of students are victimized by bullies during their school career (National Crime Prevention Council)

• In more than 2/3 of the school shootings, the attackers felt “persecuted, bullied, threatened, or attacked

• By age 24, 60% of former bullies have been convicted of a crime

• Studies show that between 15–25 percent of U.S. students are bullied with some frequency (“sometimes or more often”) while 15–20 percent report that they bully others with some frequency (Melton et al., 1998; Nansel et al., 2001).

• Girls are more more likely to bully each other using social exclusion (Olweus, 2002).

PrevalenceNational sample of 15,686 students, grade 6-10

• 30% of students reported being bullied or targeted by a bully

• 19% reported bullying others “sometimes” or more often;

• 17% reported being bullied “sometimes” or more often; and

• 6.3% reported bullying and being bullied. (Nansel et al. 2001)

(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)

The 4 R’s

• Recognizing

• Reporting

• Responding

• Responsibilities

Recognizing Children and youth who are bullied are

more likely than other children to:

• Have low self-esteem• Be depressed, lonely, anxious • Be absent from school• Feel sick• Think about suicide

(Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services)

• Students, parents, employees, and service providers are responsible for reporting incidents of bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, intimidation, and retaliation.

• Student reports of bullying to adults should be referred immediately to an administrator.

• Student reports will be documented with the Bullying, Harassment or Intimidation Reporting Form.

• Employees who file a report (in good faith) are immune from civil liability.

Reporting

ReportingBULLYING, HARASSMENT, OR INTIMIDATION REPORTING FORM PERSON REPORTING INCIDENT Name: ______________________Telephone: ___________________________ E-mail:Place an X in the appropriate box: Student Parent/guardian Close adult relative School Staff

• Employees and service providers can make reports (oral or written) to their administrator and/or supervisor.

• Staff violations of the policy should be reported to an appropriate supervisor for investigation.

Responding• Upon receipt of this form, principals will investigate

within two days.

• When a student reports that he/she is currently the target/victim of bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, or intimidation, the staff member will respond quickly and appropriately to intervene and report the incident to a school administrator.

• School administrators will immediately notify parents of the target/victim and the parents of the offender of the incident. They will notify parents of the victim and the offender of the incident in a timely manner that corrective action has been taken; due to confidentiality, specific disciplinary corrective measures are not to be discussed.

Responding• The offender will be informed that retaliation against the

target/victim or bystander is strictly prohibited and that progressive consequences will occur if the activity continues.

• Consequences for violations of this policy will be administered according to applicable school system policies (Policy 7030 Employee Discipline, Policy 9200 Discipline, the HCPSS Student Code of Conduct, and all applicable state and federal laws).

• A follow-up conference will be held with the target/victim four weeks after the initial follow-up conference to determine if the bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, or intimidation has ceased.

• Support services will be made available to the student exhibiting bullying behaviors, or to the target/victim, witness or bystander.

Responsibilities• The Superintendent/Designee will ensure that students, parents,

employees and service providers are notified of the provisions of this policy annually.

• Students, parents, employees, and service providers are responsible for reporting incidents of bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, intimidation and retaliation.

• An administrator must investigate the alleged incident and take corrective action as appropriate, even if students, parents, or other close adult relatives are reluctant to complete the Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation Reporting Form.

• The Equity Assurance Coordinator will document staff complaints received on bullying, cyberbullying, harassment or intimidation and render findings.

Responsibilities• Principals are responsible for providing activities that

create a culture of peer support and mutual respect, including activities that reach out to families and the community.

• Schools will include a continuum of positive behaviors and supports as part of their schoolwide behavioral plan.

• All schools will follow established procedures for prevention and intervention

Responsibilities What do I tell my child if my child sees bullying? (bystander)

• Don’t just stand there. . . SAY SOMETHING! If you feel safe, tell the person to STOP the bullying behavior. Say you don’t like it and that it isn’t funny.

• What if I don’t feel safe telling a bully to stop? That’s okay. No one should put themselves in an unsafe situation.

• Say kind words to the child who is being bullied, such as “I’m sorry about what happened,”and “I don’t like it!”

• Tell an adult. (This is IMPORTANT!!) Chances are, the kid who is being bullied needs help from an adult. The kid who is doing the bullying probably does, too.

(Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services)

Responsibilities• Learn as much as you can about the bullying tactics used, and when and

where the bullying happened.

• Don’t blame the child who is being bullied.

• Empathize with your child. Tell him/her that bullying is wrong, not their fault, and that you are glad he or she had the courage to tell you about it.

• Never tell your child to ignore the bullying.

• Do not encourage physical retaliation (“Just hit them back”) as a solution.

• Listen carefully to what your child tells you about the bullying.

• Contact your child’s teacher or principal.

• Parents are often reluctant to report bullying to school officials, but bullying may not stop without the help of adults.

(Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services)

What to Do if Your Child is Being Bullied ?

ResponsibilitiesWhat do I do if my child is bullying others?

• Make it clear to your child that you take bullying seriously and that you will not tolerate this behavior.

• Develop clear and consistent rules within your family for your children’s behavior. Praise and reinforce your children for following rules and use non-physical, non hostile consequences for rule violations.

• Spend more time with your child and carefully supervise and monitor his or her activities. Find out who your child’s friends are and how and where they spend free time.

ResponsibilitiesWhat do I do if my child is bullying others?

• Build on your child’s talents by encouraging him or her to get involved in pro-social activities (such as clubs, music lessons, nonviolent sports).

• Share your concerns with your child’s teacher, counselor, or principal. Work together to send clear messages to your child that his or her bullying must stop.

• If you or your child needs additional help, talk with a school counselor or mental health professional.

(Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services)

Resources• www.olweus.org/public/recognizing_bullying.page

• www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov (Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services)