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Bullying Prevention Plan

Prevent Bullying

Starting point is the State definition - Bullying is any intentional gesture or any intentional written, verbal or physical act or threat that is sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive that it creates an intimidating, threatening or abusive educational environment for a student or staff member.  A reasonable person, under the circumstances, would know or should know the behavior in question would have the effect of creating actual physical or mental harm to a person or their property or creating a reasonable fear of such harm.

Prevention Plan

1. Definition:  A clear definition of bullying, including cyber-bullying, (vs. teasing/normal conflict) will be shared with staff and students in age appropriate language.  Include definition in the Student Code of Conduct.

2. Staff Training:  Staff training as appropriate to the position, will be provided on the Bullying Prevention initiative.

3. Student Education/Training:  On-going instruction and support will be provided to students at all grade levels.

4. Communicate Expectations to the School Community:  Utilize District Communications (i.e. Student and Staff Handbooks and district website) as appropriate to inform parents and patrons of the Bullying Prevention initiative and to encourage their support.

5.  Reporting Process:  Formal and informal reporting procedures, including the opportunity for anonymous reports, will be available to students and staff. 

6. Investigation Process:  There is a legal and ethical duty to investigate.

  • Determine who makes up the Investigation Team based upon the specific circumstances of each report.  Both male and female staff members will be available to investigate when appropriate.
  • Interview the Target (Victim), the Bully, and By-Standers.

7. Consequences for Bullying will be applied consistently across the district and will be based upon frequency, severity, and duration of the bullying behavior.

8. Chronic offenders:

  • Refer to school support staff (i.e., counselor, social worker);
  • Refer for outside mental health assistance;
  • Report to law enforcement if a crime has been committed

9. Continuously Evaluate the Effectiveness of the Plan and Revise as Appropriate.

Foundational Elements for a Bullying & Harassment Prevention/Intervention Program

1.  Adult relationships: Develop an environment of trust through meaningful interaction with all students.

  • Responses are consistent and caring;
  • Be respectful - staff model respectful behavior (especially avoid sarcastic tone; use positives);
  • Label the behavior, not the student;
  • Be present and pay attention;
  • Communicate that bullying is NOT acceptable;
  • Be open to student reports (cite school shooter data re: students knew but did not tell staff).

2. Intentional student instruction

  • clearly define bullying;
  • ensure students understand the law and local policy/procedures in age-appropriate language;
  • clearly define, teach, and model the school’s standards of acceptable behavior;
  • apply expectation equally to ALL students;
  • distinguish between “Narcing” vs “Reporting” (“Reporting is getting someone out of trouble! – Narcing is getting someone into trouble!”);
  • discourage students from being “passive by-standers or on-lookers” and offer positive alternatives;
  • utilize research-based bullying prevention curricula

3. Appropriate levels of adult supervision throughout the school environment and school sponsored activities:

  • Bus lines;
  • school vehicles;
  • playground;
  • gym locker rooms;
  • halls;
  • bathrooms;
  • cafeteria, etc.
  • Intervene/stop bullying behavior:
  • allow face-saving;
  • avoid power struggles (Role Play);
  • re-teach definition of bullying and standards of acceptable behavior;
  • ALL staff responsible to intervene – DO NOT IGNORE;
  • intervene in bullying behavior at lowest level possible;
  • ALL staff responsible for vigilance around rewarding and enforcing standards of acceptable behavior

4. Follow-up on every report and track student behavior patterns

5. Provide Positive Recognition as appropriate:

  • verbal praise;
  • structured awards (monthly, annual);
  • school-wide campaigns/activities (P.A. system, student clubs);
  • opportunities for positive power;
  • opportunities for inclusion of ALL students.

6. Engage Entire School Community:

  • ALL staff (classified, certificated, and administrators)
  • ALL students
  • ALL parents
  • Utilize multiple methods of communication to inform stakeholders

7. Continuously Monitor, Re-teach, Evaluate, Revise

  • Monitor implementation for each school for comprehensiveness of bullying prevention plan
  • Re-teach and reinforce staff and student anti-bullying knowledge and skills frequently
  • Actively and regularly evaluate student behavior i.e., survey perceptions, discipline records and observational data
  • Revise plan as indicated by evaluation data

Staff Training

  • Staff was provided training at the beginning of this school year in each building.
  • Staff will receive training, appropriate to their positions within the district, during in-service days at the beginning of the year.  Staff hired after these dates will be required to complete an online training course or attend a training set up by the district during the year.
  • Identify positions responsible for on-going training of staff.
  • Online resource > https://www.stopbullying.gov

Student Training

  • Include Definition(s) in revisions of Student Code of Conduct/Student Handbooks
  • Explore need for K-12 research-based curriculum
  • Responsibility of ALL staff.  Guidance counselors, under the supervision of building principals, will provide leadership at the building level.

Elementary Level

  • Character Education classroom lessons provided by the guidance counselors
  • Guidance Lessons specific to Bullying Prevention are provided in grades 3-5
  • Data Collection through Bullying Surveys
  • Posters serve as visual reminders throughout the building
  • Peer Mediation
  • Skill instruction and practice
  • Staff Support i.e., Lunch Buddies groups
  • Self-esteem building opportunities
  • Use of Student Harassment Agreement

Middle School Level

  • Guidance Lessons specific to Bullying Prevention
  • Grade Level assemblies addressing Bullying Behavior and Prevention
  • Connect with Kids (http://www.connectwithkids.com/educators/ ) three (3) week course taught during Core Extension.
  • Classroom presentation by MOCSA (http://www.mocsa.org/) on sexual harassment
  • Pre-Post Training Surveys on Bullying
  • Special Assemblies/Presentations such as Rachel’s Challenge and Miss Kansas
  • Strategies posted in every classroom
  • Use of Student Harassment Agreement
  • School-wide Events – Mix-It-Up day, No Name Calling Week, Kindest Kansan Citation
  • Skill instruction and practice
  • Staff Support
  • Self-esteem building opportunities

High School Level

  • School-wide Stuco-sponsored Events – Mix-It-Up day
  • Training provided during Freshmen Orientation
  • Character Education taught during Seminar time covers bullying prevention
  • Guidance Counseling to Target (Victim) and Bully
  • Special Assemblies/Presentations
  • Future Use of Student Harassment Agreement – To be distributed during pre-enrollment.
  • Skill instruction and practice
  • Staff Support
  • Self-esteem building opportunities

Utilize District Communications for Parent/Patron Involvement

As appropriate, District Communications, such as the District Website and School Newsletter, will be utilized to inform parents of issues and information regarding all forms of harassment.

  • Parent training provided at PTA meetings
  • Internet Safety Training for Parents

Reporting Process

Formal and informal reporting procedures, including the opportunity for anonymous reports, are available to students and staff. 

Investigation Process

Utilize similar process as used for reports of sexual harassment.

Consequences

  • Consequences for Bullying will be applied consistently across the district and will be based upon frequency, severity, and duration of the bullying behavior. 
  • Behavior intervention plans
  • If…Then contracts

Chronic offenders:  Current Practice

  • Refer to school support staff (i.e., counselor, social worker);
  • Refer for outside mental health assistance;
  • Report to law enforcement if a crime has been committed

Continuously Evaluate the Effectiveness of the Plan and Revise as Appropriate

  • Utilize Skyward for data collection
  • Review data at building and district level
  • Revise prevention/intervention strategies as indicated