Anti-Bullying PolicyAnti-Bullying Policy

Federal -State-School Board-LegalFederal -State-School Board-Legal SystemSystem

Coalition for Safe Schools

US Department of US Department of EducationEducationOffice for Civil Rights Office for Civil Rights (OCR)(OCR)Statutes that OCR enforces includes;Statutes that OCR enforces includes;

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origincolor, or national origin

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 which prohibits discrimination based on sexwhich prohibits discrimination based on sex

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disability Act and Title II of the Americans with Disability Act of 1990 prohibit discrimination on the basis of of 1990 prohibit discrimination on the basis of disabilitydisability

Federal RegulationsFederal Regulations

School Districts may violate civil rights statutes School Districts may violate civil rights statutes and the US Department of Education’s and the US Department of Education’s Implementing regulations when peer Implementing regulations when peer harassment based on race, color, national harassment based on race, color, national origin, sex, or disability is sufficiently serious origin, sex, or disability is sufficiently serious that it creates a hostile environment and such that it creates a hostile environment and such harassment is encouraged, tolerated, not harassment is encouraged, tolerated, not adequately addressed, or ignored by school adequately addressed, or ignored by school employeesemployees

New York StateNew York StateDignity for all Students Dignity for all Students ActAct Effective Date- July 1,2012Effective Date- July 1,2012

The purpose of this bill is to afford all students The purpose of this bill is to afford all students an environment free of any harassment an environment free of any harassment including cyber-bullying that substantially including cyber-bullying that substantially interferes with their education, regardless of interferes with their education, regardless of the basis of the harassment, and free of the basis of the harassment, and free of discrimination based on actual or perceived discrimination based on actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, disability, sexual orientation, group, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender, or sex.gender, or sex.

NYS Harassment NYS Harassment DefinitionDefinition“Dignity for All” Section “Dignity for All” Section 1111 ““Creation of a hostile environment by verbal Creation of a hostile environment by verbal

threats, intimidation or abuse that has or would threats, intimidation or abuse that has or would have the effect of unreasonably and have the effect of unreasonably and substantially interfering with a students substantially interfering with a students educational performance, opportunities or educational performance, opportunities or benefits, or mental, emotional, or physical well benefits, or mental, emotional, or physical well being.”being.”

NYS Harassment NYS Harassment DefinitionDefinition“Dignity for All” Section “Dignity for All” Section 1111 Conduct, verbal threats, intimidation, or abuse Conduct, verbal threats, intimidation, or abuse

that reasonably causes or would reasonably be that reasonably causes or would reasonably be expected to cause a student to fear for his or expected to cause a student to fear for his or her physical safety.her physical safety.

NYS Harassment Definition NYS Harassment Definition Examples “Dignity for All”Examples “Dignity for All”Section 11Section 11 Conduct ,verbal, written threats, intimidation, Conduct ,verbal, written threats, intimidation,

or abuse includes; verbal or written threats or abuse includes; verbal or written threats through an Internet service such as e-mail, chat through an Internet service such as e-mail, chat room, discussion group, instant messaging, or room, discussion group, instant messaging, or social networking either on or off school social networking either on or off school propertyproperty

Intimidation or abuse based on a person’s Intimidation or abuse based on a person’s actual or perceived color,weight,national actual or perceived color,weight,national orign,ethnic group,religion,religious orign,ethnic group,religion,religious practice,disability,sexual orientation,gender or practice,disability,sexual orientation,gender or sexsex

School District Policy GapSchool District Policy Gap

School districts will need to create policies and School districts will need to create policies and guidelines intended to create a school guidelines intended to create a school environment that is free from discrimination environment that is free from discrimination and harassment.and harassment.

School districts will need to provide guidelines School districts will need to provide guidelines to be used in school training programs to to be used in school training programs to discourage the development of discrimination or discourage the development of discrimination or harassment and that are designed to raise the harassment and that are designed to raise the awareness and sensitivity of school employees awareness and sensitivity of school employees to potential discrimination or harassment, and to potential discrimination or harassment, and to enable employees to prevent and respond to to enable employees to prevent and respond to discrimination or harassment.discrimination or harassment.

School District Policy GapSchool District Policy Gap

School districts will need to provide guidelines School districts will need to provide guidelines relating to the development of relating to the development of nondiscriminatory instructional and counseling nondiscriminatory instructional and counseling methods and requiring that at least one staff methods and requiring that at least one staff member at every school be thoroughly trained member at every school be thoroughly trained to handle human relations in the areas of race, to handle human relations in the areas of race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender and sex. orientation, gender and sex.

Legal SystemLegal System

Bullying DefinitionBullying DefinitionFederal InteragencyFederal Interagency Bullying is a form of youth violence, aggressive Bullying is a form of youth violence, aggressive

behavior that is intentional and that involves an behavior that is intentional and that involves an imbalance of power or strength. Although imbalance of power or strength. Although definitions of bullying vary, most agree that definitions of bullying vary, most agree that bullying usually includes:bullying usually includes:

attack or intimidation with the intention to cause attack or intimidation with the intention to cause fear, distress, or harm that is either: fear, distress, or harm that is either: – physical (e.g., hitting, punching), physical (e.g., hitting, punching), – verbal (e.g., name-calling, teasing), or verbal (e.g., name-calling, teasing), or – psychological/relational (e.g., rumors, social psychological/relational (e.g., rumors, social

exclusion);exclusion); a real or perceived imbalance of power between a real or perceived imbalance of power between

the bully and victim; the bully and victim; repeated attacks or intimidation between the repeated attacks or intimidation between the

same children over time.same children over time. Resource Web Site http://www.bullyinginfo.orgResource Web Site http://www.bullyinginfo.org

Olweus Bullying Olweus Bullying DefinitionDefinition

"A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, "A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself." herself."

Types of BullyingTypes of Bullying

1. Verbal bullying 1. Verbal bullying 2. Bullying through social exclusion or isolation2. Bullying through social exclusion or isolation3. Physical bullying3. Physical bullying4. Bullying through lies and false rumors4. Bullying through lies and false rumors5. Having money or other things taken or 5. Having money or other things taken or damaged damaged 6. Being threatened or forced to do things 6. Being threatened or forced to do things 7. Racial bullying7. Racial bullying8. Sexual bullying8. Sexual bullying

9. Cyber bullying9. Cyber bullying

Cyber BullyingCyber Bullying

Bullying through email, instant messaging, in a Bullying through email, instant messaging, in a chat room, on a Web site, or through digital chat room, on a Web site, or through digital messages or images sent to a cellular phone or messages or images sent to a cellular phone or personal electronic device. Cyber bullying, like personal electronic device. Cyber bullying, like traditional bullying, involves a negative action traditional bullying, involves a negative action that is repeated and involves an imbalance of that is repeated and involves an imbalance of power. power.

Broward County, FloridaBroward County, Florida Anti-Bullying Policy Anti-Bullying Policy

The School Board of Broward County approved The School Board of Broward County approved the first school district Anti-Bullying Policy in the first school district Anti-Bullying Policy in Florida. The policy, which was adopted on July Florida. The policy, which was adopted on July 22,2008 and was designed by the District’s 22,2008 and was designed by the District’s Office of Prevention Programs and Student Office of Prevention Programs and Student Support Services, under the Safe Schools Support Services, under the Safe Schools Healthy Students Grant initiative.Healthy Students Grant initiative.

The Florida Department of Education utilized The Florida Department of Education utilized the new policy as a model for the state’s other the new policy as a model for the state’s other 66 school districts.66 school districts.

http://www.browardschools.com/schools/bullying.htmhttp://www.browardschools.com/schools/bullying.htm

Broward County Policy Broward County Policy ElementsElements DefinitionsDefinitions ExpectationsExpectations Stakeholder Stakeholder

responsibilitiesresponsibilities Training for students Training for students

and school and school communitycommunity

Disciplinary Disciplinary consequencesconsequences

Reporting an act of Reporting an act of bullyingbullying

Bullying complaints Bullying complaints and Resolutionand Resolution

Investigation Investigation requirementsrequirements

Referral for Referral for interventionintervention

Incident reporting Incident reporting requirementsrequirements

Process for referral for Process for referral for external investigationexternal investigation

Appeals processAppeals process ConfidentialityConfidentiality Prohibition of Prohibition of

retaliationretaliation Additional referralAdditional referral

Breakout GroupsBreakout Groups

Group I- Definitions, Expectations, Stakeholder Group I- Definitions, Expectations, Stakeholder responsibilities, Training for students and the responsibilities, Training for students and the school communityschool community

Group II - Disciplinary consequences, Reporting Group II - Disciplinary consequences, Reporting an act of bullying, Bullying complaints and an act of bullying, Bullying complaints and Resolution, Investigation requirements, Referral Resolution, Investigation requirements, Referral for interventionfor intervention

Group III- Incident reporting requirements, Group III- Incident reporting requirements, Process for referral for external investigation, Process for referral for external investigation, Appeals process, Confidentiality, Prohibition of Appeals process, Confidentiality, Prohibition of retaliation, Additional referralretaliation, Additional referral

TimelineTimeline