Guidelines for Effective Bullying Prevention Policies

The following elements should be considered for inclusion in a school district’s policy related to the prevention of and response to bullying behaviors:

Definition

• Bullying includes aggressive or hostile behavior that is intentional and involves an imbalance of power between the bully and the bullied. It is typically repeated over time.

• Bullying takes many forms, including, but not limited to, physical or verbal assaults, nonverbal or emotional threats or intimidation, social exclusion and isolation, extortion, and the use of a computer or telecommunications to send embarrassing, slanderous, threatening, or intimidating messages.

• Bullying is a form of victimization and is not necessarily a result of or part of an ongoing conflict.

• Bullying can also be characterized by teasing, put-downs, name-calling, cruel rumors, false accusations, and hazing.

Prohibitions

Each of the following forms of bullying should be prohibited under a local policy:

• Student-to-student behaviors characterized as bullying per the adopted definition, provided it takes place at school, during a school-sponsored activity, on school buses, or through the use of school equipment in the case of cyberbullying. Additionally, a student bullying an adult staff member, using the same criteria.

• An adult school staff member bullying a student or another staff member.

Complaint procedures

• It is considered the responsibility of all students and school staff members to report acts of bullying in any of the above-described situations to a member of the school staff or administration, as designated by the policy to be a recipient of such reports.

• All such reports are to be taken seriously by the party designated by the policy to receive the same. The school staff or administrator will support students and coworkers making such reports and protect against any potential retaliation for making such a report.

• Students and staff making prompt, accurate, and thorough reports, either verbally or in writing, will have those reports recorded by the staff receiving the same. An investigation to determine the facts will take place immediately or as soon as practicable, in order to verify the validity and seriousness of the report.

• Filing a report in good faith will not reflect upon the individual’s status, nor will it affect his or her grades or employment status by the district if the complainant is an adult staff member. The district shall keep the complaint confidential for both the accused and the accuser, until such time as the misconduct is confirmed and sanctions are imposed.

Sanctions and support

• Programs designed to prevent bullying behavior redirect students from continuing to bully and to support both victims of bullies and the bullies themselves should be explored. These programs take many forms and include classroom activities and instruction.

• Where it is determined that students participated in bullying behavior in violation of the policy, the school district staff responsible for maintaining order and discipline may take disciplinary action including suspension, expulsion, and referral to law enforcement officials for possible legal action.

• Employees found to have participated in bullying behavior, or having become aware that bullying was taking place and failed to report the behavior, are considered to be in violation of the prohibition expressed by the policy.They may be subject to disciplinary action consistent with the collective bargaining agreement or disciplinary action established by policy or practice.

Disclosure and public reporting

• Notification to all parties subject to this policy defining and prohibiting bullying shall be made annually. A summary of the policy will be incorporated into student and employee handbooks. It will also be distributed to organizations in the community having cooperative agreements with the schools.

• Data on the number and types of reports made under this prohibition, the results of investigations undertaken to verify the details made in complaints, and the sanctions imposed for incidents found to be violation of the same are to be kept on an annual aggregated basis. No individuals, either complainants or violators, will be named in such reports.

• Annual reports will be presented to the school board for use in development of prevention programs and/or modifications of this and other related policies. The annual report will be made available to the public upon request.

Conclusion

Students in Wisconsin schools are depending on the adults in their lives to ensure a safe, supportive learning environment in which they can thrive and reach their full potential. The information provided in this document is designed to assist school districts in developing effective bullying prevention policies that meet their local needs.
In conclusion, the following guidance is offered for consideration by educators, parents, and community members as they work to provide effective programming:

• An assessment needs to be conducted to determine the prevalence of bullying, where it is happening, who is involved, and when it is happening.

• Programs must be implemented K–12 and must be comprehensive in nature, including policy, curriculum, and interventions.

• Administrators must provide strong leadership and commitment for antibullying programs to be successful.

• Policy needs to be communicated regularly to students, parents, teachers, and others. Rules against bullying need to be enforced consistently.

• The climate of the school must discourage bullying.

• Parents need to be educated about bullying, and they need to be involved in prevention efforts.

• Quality bullying prevention programming, strategies, and resources need to be developed or purchased.

• Strategies for hot spots such as buses, cafeterias, lavatories, and other locations need to be developed. Environmental redesign may need to be considered. Technological monitoring may be effective.

• Training needs to be provided for administrators, teachers, and all school staff, including cafeteria workers, bus drivers, playground supervisors, and others.

• The district’s computer-use policy needs to include cyberbullying in the list of unacceptable uses of district equipment.

• Resources need to be identified to assist bullies, victims, bystanders, and families.

• Data must be maintained regarding the effectiveness of bullying prevention efforts.

WEA Trust