Bullying and HarassmentPolicy, Program, Intervention

MSD Decatur Township

Session Goals1. Review definitions of bullying

and harassment.2. Understand District revised

Policies through review and discussion.

3. Identify strategies for intervention through group discussion and sharing.

Bullying involves—unwanted, aggressive, targeted behavior among school aged children. It involves a real or perceived power imbalance and the behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time.

Harassment involves—unwelcome conduct directed to a person or group of persons based onthe actual or perceived membership in a protected class of a person, theperson’s family, or individuals with whom the person associates.

VERBAL PHYSICAL RELATIONAL PROPERTY CYBER

www.stopbullying.gov/prevention Copyright © 2013 by Great Lakes Equity Center

Bullying and Harassment— Similarities and Differences

BULLYING

PROTECTED CLASS

HARASSMENT

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DISABILITY

NATIONAL ORIGIN

Sex/Gender

Race/Color

LANGUAGE

RELIGION

Harassment:Protected Classes

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Which behaviors create a hostile environment ?

Intimidation and implied or overt threats of physical violence motivated by race, color, national origin, sex, or religion.

Physical acts of aggression or assault upon another, or damage to another’s property that is motivated by the individual’s race, color, national origin, sex, or religion.

Demeaning racial jokes, taunting, racial slurs and derogatory racial “nicknames,” innuendos, or other negative or derogatory remarks of a racial nature or relating to national origin

Graffiti and/or slogans or visual displays such as cartoons or posters depicting racial/ethnic slurs or racially/ethnically derogatory sentiments.

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ResourcesStop Bulling.gov

http://www.stopbullying.gov/Let’s Get Real videoWatch each video clip and look for behaviors that create

a hostile environment for the students.http://

groundspark.org/our-films-and-campaigns/lets-get-real/lgr_clips

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Students who are targets of harassment often spend their energy at school worrying about when and how they might be harassed again, which takes the focus away from learning.

Many start to distance themselves from people

or places

Attendance becomes a

problem and some

students may drop

out

May experience

Illness, depression or suicidal thoughts

Some choose to fight back in dangerous

or violent ways

Consequences of Harassment—

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Legal ObligationTitle VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI, Title IV)

• Title VI, Prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin• Title IV, Prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion or sex

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX)

• Prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Title II)/IDEA

• Prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability

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Indiana Code 20-33-8-0.2Bullying means overt, repeated acts or gestures,

including:1. Verbal or written communications transmitted in

any manner (including digitally or electronically,2. physical acts committed, aggression3. any other behaviors committed; by a student or

group of students against another student with the intent to harass, ridicule, humiliate, intimidate, or harm the targeted student and create for the targeted student an objectively hostile school environment that:

1. places the targeted student in reasonable fear of harm to the targeted student’s person or property:

2. has a substantially detrimental effect on the targeted student’s physical or mental health;

3. has the effect of substantially interfering with the targeted student’s academic performance; or

4. has the effect of substantially interfering with the targeted student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, and privileges provided by the school.

The Discipline Rulesmust apply when a student is:

1. on school grounds immediately before or during school hours, immediately after school hours, or at any other time when the school is being used by a school group.

2.off school grounds at a school activity, function or event;

3. traveling to or from school or a school activity, function or event

4. using property or equipment provided by the school.

Responsibility?Schools become liable for doing nothing.

You have to address it and

attempt to stop the behavior.

Bullying/harassment is ABUSE not

conflict.

Bullying/harassment should not be mediated.

*When mediation tactics are used, it signals to the person bullied/harassed that they have done something wrong. It implies they have something to apologize for or are in some way to blame for the behavior. (*It is appropriate to mediate the conflict if the victim requests mediation.)

Warning Signs1. Torn or damaged clothing

2. Cuts, bruises, scratches3. Few friends4. Afraid to go to school5. Takes long routes to or from school6. Lost interest in school7. Begins to do poorly in school8. Sad, moody, depressed9. Stomach aches, head aches, lack of sleep10.Low self esteem

Prevention

Policy, Program, Intervention

Policy “BULLYING and

HARASSMENT ARE UNACCEPTABLE”

Board Policy : 5517 Anti-Harassment

5517.01 Bullying

Complaints/ReportingAny individual who believes a student has been or is the victim of

discrimination, bullying, harassment, hazing, or similar conduct should immediately report the situation to the building principal or designee (acting as the school-level nondiscrimination coordinator), the District Nondiscrimination Coordinator(s), or the Superintendent, and/or complete the School District’s Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying report form, which is available online at www.msddecatur.k12.in.us.

A complaint may be filed by any student, parent, employee, or other individual with knowledge of the alleged conduct. Any student may also report concerns to teachers and other school staff, who will be responsible for notifying the building principal or designee, acting as the school-level nondiscrimination coordinator, for review, investigation and action.

Program 1. Anonymous Survey (Students let you know

what is going on.)2. Group formed to coordinate schools’ bullying

prevention activities: (School Safety Committee)3. Training Staff4. Establish and enforce school rules5. Establish a reporting protocol (online, may be

anonymous)6. Communicate with parents7. Find hot spots for bullying8. Intervene when bullying occurs or when

reported.

Intervention 1. Stop it 2. Make appropriate eye contact3. Don’t ask the reason for bullying4. Use matter of fact tone of voice5. Let students know it is unacceptable6. Do not be over protective (see child alone later)7. Immediate consequences if possible.8. Do not make bully apologize to the victim9. Notify colleagues in the building who interact

with these students.10. Do not make students meet and work it out. (This is abuse, not conflict.)

Intervention for the Child Bullied1. Comfort privately2. Spend time with that student-how

pervasive has this bullying been?3. Other colleagues may talk to the

child4. Help the child make friends.5. Work with the parents on how to

deal with it.6. Mental health referral may be

necessary.

Remediation of the Bully(Goal is not to discipline but is to stop the behavior)1. Educate, teach appropriate behavior a. work with bullies on skills to change

behavior. Bullying will not go away until we change the behavior of the bully.

b. communicate that behavior will not be tolerated

c. involve parents2. Take away privileges3. In school suspension4. Last resort should be suspension and expulsion

RemindersInvestigate all reports of bullyingCommunicate with parentsIs a counseling referral appropriate for both

parties?Follow up with principal and teachersDocument, document, document

Group WorkIn vertical teams discuss real bullying/harassment situations encountered during the 2013-14 school year.

On chart paper, describe interventions you used or would consider using to support the bullied or to remediate the bully. (Goal of this activity is to brainstorm various interventions)

Groups report out suggested interventions to the larger group.

ResourcesStop Bullying.gov

http://www.stopbullying.gov/Let’s Get Real video

http://groundspark.org/our-films-and-campaigns/lets-get-real/lgr_clips

U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Educational Opportunities Section:http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/edu/

U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights:http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html

OCR Dear Colleague Letter on Bullying and Harassment:http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleagu

e-201010.htmlCopyright © 2013 by Great Lakes Equity Center

ResourcesWebinar (archived): Bullying and Civil Rights: An

Overview of School Districts’ Federal Obligation to Respond to Harassment:https://www.nttac.org/index.cfm?event

=trainingCenter.traininginfo&eventID=8&from=training&dtab=1

Webinar (archived): Bullying Intervention: What Works:https://www.nttac.org/index.cfm?event=trainingCenter.trai

ninginfo&eventID=9&from=training&dtab=1

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