Take Action Today: How Families and Students Can Take the Lead in Creating Safer School Environments
As a student, you should be committed to helping provide a safe learning and working environment for yourself, other students and staff through the development of intervention and prevention programs.
Through you, Brookland One wants to demonstrate our intolerance for any offense that endangers the safety of students or staff. Every reasonable effort will be made within the district’s capabilities to provide a safe and secure environment for its students, staff and public. Below are steps and information you can use as a student to prevent bullying in your class, school, home, or neighborhood.
Bullying Prevention
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Building a team. Invite other students, teachers, community members and parents to work together in improving school climate.
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Assessing the current school climate. Use the StopBullying.gov Landscape Assessment to develop benchmarks, gain a better understanding of the perspective of students, families, teachers and other school personnel, and chart progress over time.
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Engaging the school community. Bring student or students and school leaders together for a discussion and brainstorm on ways to improve peer environments for students.
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Developing student action plans. Create a plan that educates and empowers your families, other students and the broader community about ways to create more positive school climates full of healthy peer relationships.
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Empower you classmates, or students, and the community to come forward and to not be afraid.
What is Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, Text, and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior.
The most common places where cyberbullying occurs are:
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Social Media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter
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SMS (Short Message Service) also known as Text Message sent through devices
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Instant Message (via devices, email provider services, apps, and social media messaging features)
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Email
Student Support
Bullying Prevention Resources
What To Do if You Are Being Bullied
What To Do If Your Child Initates Bullying Behavior
What Is Cyberbullying?
CDC Understanding Bullying Fact Sheet
Bullying Prevention and Intervention Tips for Families
How To Talk About Bullying
Bullying Consequences
At the school level:
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a bullying survey to determine the extent of the problem.
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a conference day to educate teachers, administrators, school staff, parents, students, and community members about bullying behaviors, response strategies, and available resources.
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increased supervision in the cafeteria, hallways, bathrooms, and on the playground, where most bullying behavior occurs.
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a coordinating group --, typically consisting of an administrator; a teacher from each grade level; a guidance counselor, psychologist, and/or school nurse; and parent and student representatives -- to manage the program and evaluate its success.
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ongoing meetings between parents and school staff.
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discussions of bullying issues at regularly scheduled PTO meetings.
At the classroom level:
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a curriculum that promotes kindness, communication, cooperation, and friendship and includes lessons and activities stressing empathy, anger management, and conflict resolution skills.
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class rules against bullying. Rules should be brief and clear. Olweus suggests the following examples:
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We will not bully other students.
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We will try to help students who are bullied.
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We will include students who might be left out.
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immediate consequences for aggressive behavior and immediate rewards for inclusive behavior. Possible sanctions include having the bully
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apologize;
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discuss the incident with the teacher, principal, and/or parents;
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pay for damaged belongings;
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spend time in the office or another classroom;
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forfeit recess or other privileges.
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weekly meetings to communicate to students clear and consistently enforced expectations and to engage them as resources in preventing bullying behavior.
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ongoing communication with parents.
At the individual level:
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serious talks with bullies and victims.
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serious talks with the parents of bullies and victims.
Texas Students Launch Campaign to Spread Bullying Prevention Message
Kailey Hensley and Courtney Myre, members of the FCCLA chapter of Winnsboro, have developed a bullying prevention campaign to spread the word about the effects bullying can have, and what anyone can do to prevent it. Kailey and Courtney told PACER that “they’re not just talking the talk though! They have developed a project that gets their classmates and entire community involved in putting an end to bullying!” Read more
