Bullying and Harassment Policy and Procedure

1. Bullying and Harassment Policy and Procedure October 5, 2012 Parent Leadership Team Meeting Mark Langdorf

2. Bullying and Harassment Goal for Today • Purpose • Board Policy • State Statute • School’s Responsibility

3. Bullying Policy and Statute • Policy • 5517.01 – Bullying, Harassment, and Dating Violence and Abuse • Statute • 1006.147 – Bullying and harassment prohibited • 1006.148 – Dating violence and abuse prohibited

4. How Bullies Act vs. Student Conflict • Harm occurs as the result of repeated intentional acts, rather than the result of a mistake/unknown act by an alleged perpetrator or frustration between two students. • A power imbalance will exist between the target (victim) and the perpetrator. • The perpetrator enjoys carrying out the action. • The perpetrator repeats the behavior, often in a systematic way. • The victim is hurt physically or psychologically and has a sense of being persecuted or oppressed. -Source Olweus (1993)

5. Three Types of Bullying • Physical Bullying: Harm to another’s person or property. • Emotional Bullying: Harm to another’s self-concept. • Relational Bullying: Harm to another through damage (or threat of damage) to relationship or to feelings of acceptance, friendship, or group inclusion.

6. Bullying Study A 2001 study of 15,600 students, grades 6-10, revealed: • 16% of U.S. students are bullied regularly and • 13% are initiators of bullying behavior; • 6% of all these students reported both bullying, and being bullied by others. (Namesel, Overpeck, Pilla, Simmons-Morton, Scheidt, 2001)

7. Teachers See Everything and Respond Toronto survey, Ziegler and Pepler (1993) • 71% of teachers indicated they almost always intervene in incidents of bullying. • Only 25% of students surveyed indicated this to be the case. Survey speculates reasons: • Majority of episodes are verbal. • Episodes are brief. • Bullying occurs when monitoring is low. • Behavior is covert.

8. Early Warning Traits of a Bully/Victims Phase One – Trolling (Perpetrator looks for easy targets) • Students with low self-esteem. • Students with low physical strength. • Students easily intimidated. • Students who don’t resist/fight back. Perpetrator will test potential victim boundaries by invading the students personal space, test reactions to guide comments, threats, taunts. Phase Two – Campaign (Perpetrator escalated the behavior) • Student victim hopes for relief and tries to fit in. • Student victim experiences guilt, self-blame, shame at not being able to stop the behavior or stand up for himself or herself. • Perpetrator more frequently attacks and will often encourage others to participate or tell all involved or witnesses to the bullying not to tattle. Phase Three – Bully-Victim Relationship (What started subtly is now happening every day in multiple places) • Student victim experiences a growing sense of despair. • Propensity for violence increase for both the Bully and the Victim.

9. What Are We Doing to Reduce Bullying? • Administration is: • Training staff on what constitutes Bullying and what is in the district's Bullying/Harassment policies. • Training staff regarding the difference between a bullying incident and student conflict. • Advising staff of their responsibility to supervise students. • Training staff on the signs and symptoms that a child is a target of bullying behavior. • Advising staff on classroom and/or playground intervention and disciplinary actions which can be implemented.

10. What We Do When: Level I Response – Students who approach a teacher or teacher observes problems he/she perceives as bullying: • Teacher are trained to learn if this has happened before. Obtain dates, times, and circumstances. All multiple incidents of bullying are referred to administration for investigation. (Level II response.) • If the report is a first report and no prior incidents have occurred, the teacher will intervene and correct the perpetrating student. The goal is to correct the situation. (i.e. speak to the perpetrator and try to resolve without major disciplinary impact). • Victims are advised by their teacher what they are going to do, and the victim is advised to report back if further issues arise. The teacher is then encouraged to follow up with the victim in a few days to see if issues have resolved. Several days or weeks later the teacher may once again follow up to make certain further incidents have not occurred. • If the student comes to report again, or if the teacher is made aware that the pattern of bullying is continuing, then this report is referred to administration. (Level II response).

11. What to Do When (continued) Level II Response – Student approach staff regarding multiple situations or teacher observes multiple events regarding bullying. • Formal investigation starts • The Victim will complete a Student Incident Reporting Form 1 • The Administrator will question the perpetrator (without victim present) and the perpetrator completes the Accused Statement Form 2. • Administrator will question any witnesses reported by the victim and the perpetrator. All witnesses complete Witness Statement Form 3. • Administrator reviews all statements taken, interviews any staff members that may have an impact on the investigation and decide if bullying occurred or not. Administrator completes the Incident Investigation Form 4.

12. What to Do When (continued) Level III Response – Serious Matters if the investigation includes: • Sexual Harassment • Racial Harassment • Discrimination base of protected class (race, sex, disability, etc.) • Illegal or criminal activity • Pattern of taunting & harassment over time by the same perpetrator toward the same victim • Severe, persistent, or perverse behavior Some or all of the above may need police intervention.

13. Bullying and Harassment Update • Conclusions • Bullying is serious, and we believe it is our responsibility as educators to intervene appropriately • Intent is to maintain a learning environment that is free from bullying and harassment • Our responsibilities include the following: • To train • To investigate • To remedy • To monitor