pnnbZVk

HOW TO TALK ABOUT BULLYING:
Parents, school staff, and other caring adults have a role to play in preventing bullying.
They can:

  • Help kids understand bullying. Talk about what bullying is and how to stand up to it safely.
    Tell kids bullying is unacceptable. Make sure kids know how to get help.
  • Keep the lines of communcation open. Check in with kids often. Listen to them. Know their
    friends, ask about school, and understand their concerns.
  • Encourage kids to do waht they love. Special activities, interests, and hobbies can boost confidence
    help kids make friends, and protect them from bullying behavior.
  • Model how to treat others with kindness and respect.

HELP KIDS UNDERSTAND BULLYING
Kids who know what bullying is can better identify it. They can talk about bullying if it
happens to them or others. Kids need to know ways to safely stand up to bullying and how to
get help.

  • Encourage kids to speak to a trusted adult if they are bullied or see others being bullied.
    The adult can give comfort, support, and advice, even if they can't solve the problem directly.
    Encourage the child to report bullying if it happens.
  • Talk about strategies for staying safe, such as staying near adults or groups of other kids.
  • Urge them to help kids who are bullied by showing kindness or getting help.

KEEP THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION OPEN
Research tells us that children really do look to parents and caregivers for advice and help on tough
decisions. Sometimes spending 15 minutes a day talking can reassure kids that they can talk to their
parents if they have a problem. Start conversations about daily life and feelings with questions like
these:

  • What was one good thing that happened today? Any bad things?
  • What is lunch time like at your school? Who do you sit with? What do you talk about?
  • What are you good at? What do you like best about yourself?
Talking about bullying directly is an important step in understanding how the issue might be
affecting kids. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions, but it is important to
encourage kids to answer them honestly. Assure kids that they are not alone in addressing any
problems that arise. Start conversatioins about bullying with questions like these:
  • What does "bullying" mean to you?
  • Describe what kids who bully are like. Why do you think people bully?
  • Who are the adults you trust most when it comes to things like bullying>
  • Have you ever felt scared to go to school because you were afraid of bullying? What ways have you
    tried to change it?
  • What do you think parents can do to help stop bullying?
  • Have you or your friends left other kids out on purpose? Do you think that was bullying? Why or why
    not?
  • What do you usually do when you see bullying going on?
  • Do you ever see kids at your school being bullied by other kids? How does it make you feel?
  • Have you ever tried to help someone who is being bullied? What happened? What would you do if it
    happens again?
There are simple ways that parents and caregivers can keep up-to-date with kids lives:
  • Read class newsletters and school flyers. Talk about them at home.
  • Check the school website.
  • Go to school events.
  • Greet the bus driver.
  • Meet teachers and counselors at "back to school" night or reach out by email.
  • Share phone numbers with other kids parents.

ENCOURAGE KIDS TO DO WHAT THEY LOVE
Help kids take part in activities, interests, and hobbies they like. Kids can volunteer, play sports, sing in a chorus,
or join in a youth group or school club. These activities give kids a chance to have fun and meet others with the same
interests. They can build confindence and friendships that help protect kids from bullying.

MODEL HOW TO TREAT OTHERS WITH KINDNESS AND RESPECT
Kids learn from adults' actions. By treating others with kindness and respect, adults show the kids in their lives
that there is no place for bullying. Even if it seems like they are not paying attention, kids are watching how adults
manage stress and conflict, as well as how they treat their friends, colleagues, and families.

PREVENTION AT SCHOOL
Bullying can threaten students physical and emotional safety at school and can negatively impact their ability to learn
The best way to address bullying is to stop before it starts. There are a number of things school staff can do to make schools
safer and prevent bullying:

ENGAGE PARENTS & YOUTH
School staff can do a great deal to prevent bullying and protect students, but they can't do it alone. Parents
and youth have a role to play in preventing bullying at school. One mechanism for engaging parents and youth, a school
safety committee, can bring the community together to keep bullying prevention at school active and focused.

BENEFITS OF PARENT AND YOUTH ENGAGEMENT
Research shows that school administrator, such as principals, can play a powerful role in bullying prevention. They can
inspire others and maintain a climate of respect and inclusion. But a principal cannot do it alone. When parents and youth are
involved in the solutions:
  • Students feel safer and can focus on learning.
  • Parents worry less.
  • Teachers and staff can focus on their work.
  • Schools can develop more responsive solutions because students are more likely to see or hear about bullying than adults.
  • School climate improves because students are engaged in taking action to stop bullying.
  • Parents can support schools' messages about bullying at home. They are also more likely to recognize signs that a child has
    been bullied or is bullying others.

HOW PARENTS AND YOUTH CAN CONTRIBUTE
Schools can set the stage for meaningful parent and youth involvment, but it doesn't happen overnight. Parents and youths need to feel
valued and be given opportunities to contribute their expertise. To sustain parent and youth involvement, schools need to provide meaningful
roles for them. For example:

  • Students can contribute their views and experiences with bullying. They can take leadership roles in school to promote
    respect and inclusion, communicate about bullying prevention with their peers, and help develop rules and policies.
  • Parents can contribute to a postive school climate through the teacher parent association, volunteering, and school
    improvment events.
  • School staff can help keep parents informed, make them feel welcome, and treat them as partners. Schools can consider
    identifying a school coordinator to support parent and youth engagement strategies. Schools can set meeting times that are
    convenient for parents and youth and may consider additional incentives such as providing dinner or child care.

SCHOOL SAFETY COMMITTEES
A school safety committee - a small group of people focused on school safety concerns - is one strategy to engage parents and
youth, as well as others, in bullying prevention. The following people can make positive contributions to a school safety committee:

  • Adminstrators can answer questions about budget, training, curriculum, and federal and state laws such as family educational rights
    and privacy act.
  • Inventive, respected teachers with strong classroom and 'people'skills can give insights.
  • Other school staff, such as school psychologists, counslers, school nurses, librarians and bus drivers, bring diverse perspectives on bullying.
  • Parents can share the family viewpoint and keep other parents in the loop on committee work.
  • Students can bring fresh views and help identify real - life challenges to prevention.
  • Other community stakeholders, such as police officers, clergy members, elected officials, and health care providers provide a broader
    perspective.
The primary activities of the school safety committee could be to:
  • Plan bullying prevention and intervention programs. Set measurable and achievable goals.
  • Implement a bullying prevention effort. Meet often enough to keep momentum and address barriers.
  • Develop, communicate, and enforce bullying prevention policies and rules.
  • Educate the school community about bullying to ensure everyone understands the problem and their role
    in stopping it.
  • Conduct school wide bullying assessments and review other data, such as incident reports.
  • Evaluate bullying prevention effort and refine the plan if necessary.
  • Advocate for the school's work in bullying prevention to the entire school community.
  • Sustain the effort over time.
This committee is not a forum for discussing individual students behaviors. Doing so is a violation of student
privacy under FERPA.

SET POLICIES & RULES
School staff can help prevent bullying by establishing and enforcing school rules and policies that clearly describe
how students are expected to treat each other. Consequences for violations of the rules should be clearly defined as well.

TYPES OF RULES AND POLICIES
There are several types of policies and rules that work to prevent bullying. Each serves a different purpose. For example:

  • A school mission statement establishes the vision for the school. Everyone should know how they personally help the
    school achieve this shared goal.
  • A code of conduct describes the postive behaviors expected of the school community. The code of conduct applies to all
    , sets standards for behavior, and covers a focused set of expected positive behaviors. State laws sometimes specify what must
    be included in a school's code of conduct.
  • A student bill of rights includes positive things students can expect at school. Keep it short and easy to remember, so it
    is useful in day-to-day school life.

INTEGRATING RULES AND POLICIES INTO A SCHOOL'S CULTURE
As you develop or update school rules and policies, have a plan for keeping them relevant and meaningful for students and school staff.

  • Make sure school rules and policies are consistent with state laws and the school district rules and policies.
  • Include school staff, parents, and students when developing rules and policies. Giving students a role can help
    them set their own climate of respect and responsibility. Parental involvment can reinforce these messages at home.
  • Train school staff on enforcing school rules and policies. Given them the tools to respond to bullying consistently and appropriately.
  • Incorporate rules and policies in day-to-day school interactions. Teachers and students can discuss the rules in class. Students can hold each
    other accountable. The principal can give an annual 'state of the school' speech that reports on mission.

ESTABLISH A REPORTING SYSTEM
Schools can establish clear procedures for reporting rule violations so that reasonable consequences can be given when rules are broken.
Reporting systems help track individual incidents and responses as well as trends over time.
Some tips for establishing a reporting system:

  • Make it easy. People are more likely to report when it is easy to do.
  • Maintain reports in a way that shows emerging problems and patterns over time.
  • Keep reports confidential and private. School staff and students should be encouraged to report violations without fear of retaliation.

BUILD A SAFE ENVIRONMENT
A safe and supportive school climate can help prevent bullying. Safety starts in the classroom. Students should also feel and be safe everywhere on campus -
in the cafeteria, in the library, in the rest rooms, on the bus, and on the playground. Everyone at school can work together to create a climate where bullying
is not acceptable.

CREATE A SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT
In general, schools can:

  • Establish a culture of inclusion and respect that welcomes all students. Reward students when they show
    thoughtfulness and respect for peers, adutls, and the school. The positive behavioral interventions and supports
    technical center for help.
  • Make sure students interact safely. Monitor bullying 'hot spots' in and around the building. Students may be at
    higher risk of bullying in settings where there is little or no adult monitoring or supervision, such as bathrooms
    playgrounds, and the cafeteria.
  • Enlist the help of all school staff. All staff can keep an eye out for bullying. They also can help set the tone at school.
    Teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria staff, office staff, liberians, school nurses, and others see and influences students every day.
    Messages reach kids best when they come from many different adults who talk about and show respect and inclusion. Train school staff
    to prevent bullying.
  • Set a tone of respect in the classroom. This means managing student behavior in the classroom well. Well - managed classrooms are
    are the least likely to have bullying.

MANAGE CLASSROOMS TO PREVENT BULLYING
Teachers can consider these ways to respect, positive relations, and order that helps prevent bullying in the classroom:

  • Create ground rules
  • Develop rules with students so they set their own climate of respect and responsibility.
  • Use positive terms, like what to do, rather than what not to do.
  • Support school wide rules.
  • Reinforce the rules
  • Be a role model and follow the rules yourself. Show students respect and encourage them to be successful.
  • Make expectations clear. Keep your requests simple, direct, and specific.
  • Reward good behavior. Try to affirm good behavior four to five times for every one criticism of bad behavior.
  • Use one-on-one feedback, and do not publicly reprimand.
  • Help students correct their behaviors. Help them understand violating the rules results in consequences.

CLASSROOM MEETINGS
Classroom meetings provide a forum for students to talk about school - related issues beyond academics. These meetings can help
teachers stay informed about what is going on at school and help students feel safe and supported.
These meetings work best in classrooms where culture of respect is already established. Classroom meetings are typically short and
help on regular schedule. They can be held in a student's main classroom, home room, or advisory period.

  • Establish ground rules. Kids should feel free to discuss issues without fear. Classroom meetings are not a time to discuss individual
    conflicts or gossip about others. Reinforce existing classroom rules.
  • Start the conversation. Focus on specific topics, such as bullying or respectufl behaviors. Meetings can identify and address the problems
    affecting the group as a whole. Stories should be broad and lead to solutions that build trust and respect between students. Use open-ended questions or
    prompts.
  • End the meeting with a reminder that it is everyone's job to make school a positive place to learn. Encourage kids to talk to teachers or other trusted
    adults if they see bullying or are worried about how someone is being treated. Follow - up when necessary. Monitor student body language and reactions. If a topic seems to be affecting a student, follow - up with her or her. Know what
    resources are available to support students affected by bullying.