Bullying
We recognize that bullying is a problem. Sheridan School District is implementing an new program to stop the bullying and promote a community of respect. Here is a brief over view of the No Bully program. The District's Anti-Bullying policy is at the end of this page.
The No Bully System® stops bullyingThe No Bully System® is a step-by-step process and set of interventions to prevent and stop bullying and cyberbullying in school and after-school programs. It guides school leaders, teachers and staff through a series of interventions for responding to bullying and harassment, depending on the severity of the incident. When severe or persistent bullying occurs, teachers facilitate Solution Teams®, where the target’s peer group and the bully come together to stop the bullying.
LEVEL 1 - Prevent & build an inclusive school culture
The school joins with parents to prevent student bullying and cyberbullying through building a culture where every student is accepted for who they are.
LEVEL 2 - Interrupt and refer to a Solution Coach®
All teachers and staff interrupt student disrespect and aggression and refer ongoing incidents of bullying or harassment to a school Solution Coach.
LEVEL 3 - Hold a Solution Team and follow up
The Solution Coach convenes a Solution Team of students to bring the bullying to an end and follows up with students stuck in the role of bully or target.
LEVEL 4 - Implement an empathy-building action plan
If a pattern of intolerance is apparent across the entire class or grade, the Solution Coach® implements a plan to create a culture of acceptance.
Bullying Definition:
Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems.
In order to be considered bullying, the behavior must be aggressive and include:
Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose.
Types of Bullying:
There are three types of bullying:
The No Bully System® stops bullyingThe No Bully System® is a step-by-step process and set of interventions to prevent and stop bullying and cyberbullying in school and after-school programs. It guides school leaders, teachers and staff through a series of interventions for responding to bullying and harassment, depending on the severity of the incident. When severe or persistent bullying occurs, teachers facilitate Solution Teams®, where the target’s peer group and the bully come together to stop the bullying.
LEVEL 1 - Prevent & build an inclusive school culture
The school joins with parents to prevent student bullying and cyberbullying through building a culture where every student is accepted for who they are.
LEVEL 2 - Interrupt and refer to a Solution Coach®
All teachers and staff interrupt student disrespect and aggression and refer ongoing incidents of bullying or harassment to a school Solution Coach.
LEVEL 3 - Hold a Solution Team and follow up
The Solution Coach convenes a Solution Team of students to bring the bullying to an end and follows up with students stuck in the role of bully or target.
LEVEL 4 - Implement an empathy-building action plan
If a pattern of intolerance is apparent across the entire class or grade, the Solution Coach® implements a plan to create a culture of acceptance.
Bullying Definition:
Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems.
In order to be considered bullying, the behavior must be aggressive and include:
- An Imbalance of Power: Kids who bully use their power—such as physical strength, access to embarrassing information, or popularity—to control or harm others. Power imbalances can change over time and in different situations, even if they involve the same people.
- Repetition: Bullying behaviors happen more than once or have the potential to happen more than once.
Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose.
Types of Bullying:
There are three types of bullying:
- Verbal bullying is saying or writing mean things. Verbal bullying includes:
- Teasing
- Name-calling
- Inappropriate sexual comments
- Taunting
- Threatening to cause harm
- Social bullying, sometimes referred to as relational bullying, involves hurting someone’s reputation or relationships. Social bullying includes:
- Leaving someone out on purpose
- Telling other children not to be friends with someone
- Spreading rumors about someone
- Embarrassing someone in public
- Physical bullying involves hurting a person’s body or possessions. Physical bullying includes:
- Hitting/kicking/pinching
- Spitting
- Tripping/pushing
- Taking or breaking someone’s things
- Making mean or rude hand gestures
Warning Signs
There are many warning signs that may indicate that someone is affected by bullying—either being bullied or bullying others. Recognizing the warning signs is an important first step in taking action against bullying. Not all children who are bullied or are bullying others ask for help.
It is important to talk with children who show signs of being bullied or bullying others. These warning signs can also point to other issues or problems, such as depression or substance abuse. Talking to the child can help identify the root of the problem.
Signs a Child is Being Bullied
Look for changes in the child. However, be aware that not all children who are bullied exhibit warning signs.
Some signs that may point to a bullying problem are:
- Unexplainable injuries
- Lost or destroyed clothing, books, electronics, or jewelry
- Frequent headaches or stomach aches, feeling sick or faking illness
- Changes in eating habits, like suddenly skipping meals or binge eating. Kids may come home from school hungry because they did not eat lunch.
- Difficulty sleeping or frequent nightmares
- Declining grades, loss of interest in schoolwork, or not wanting to go to school
- Sudden loss of friends or avoidance of social situations
- Feelings of helplessness or decreased self esteem
- Self-destructive behaviors such as running away from home, harming themselves, or talking about suicide
Signs a Child is Bullying Others Kids may be bullying others if they:
- Get into physical or verbal fights
- Have friends who bully others
- Are increasingly aggressive
- Get sent to the principal’s office or to detention frequently
- Have unexplained extra money or new belongings
- Blame others for their problems
- Don’t accept responsibility for their actions
- Are competitive and worry about their reputation or popularity
Why don't kids ask for help? Statistics from the 2012 Indicators of School Crime and Safety show that an adult was notified in less than half (40%) of bullying incidents. Kids don’t tell adults for many reasons:
- Bullying can make a child feel helpless. Kids may want to handle it on their own to feel in control again. They may fear being seen as weak or a tattletale.
- Kids may fear backlash from the kid who bullied them.
- Bullying can be a humiliating experience. Kids may not want adults to know what is being said about them, whether true or false. They may also fear that adults will judge them or punish them for being weak.
- Kids who are bullied may already feel socially isolated. They may feel like no one cares or could understand.
- Kids may fear being rejected by their peers. Friends can help protect kids from bullying, and kids can fear losing this support.
What you can do if your child is being bullied.
- Listen to what your child has to say.
- If you were bullied as a child, try not to personalize what is happening.
- Don't retaliate against the bully or his family.
- Coach your child on how to react: Bullies tend to pick on people who they can get a reaction from; they choose kids who get upset and who take the teasing to heart. They also look for kids who won’t stand up for themselves, or who they can overpower. It’s important to teach your child how to react. Coached your child on how to avoid bullies and who to go to if he/she feels unsafe. Do role plays together where you practice not reacting to what the bullies say. Set it up so that your child has some control over what was going on. They may not stop the bullying right away, but they can get themselves away from it and find someone to talk to about it
- If the bullying is happening at school, report it to school staff. You can report bullying by clicking on the contact tab then filling out and submitting the form.
Read more: http://www.empoweringparents.com/Is-Your-Child-Being-Bullied.php#ixzz3kPv79eWB
Sheridan School District 48J Code: JFCF-AR Revised/Reviewed: 2/17/10; 6/20/12; 10/16/19 Harassment, Intimidation, Bullying, Cyberbullying, Teen Dating Violence Reporting Procedures –
Student Principals have the responsibility for investigations concerning reported acts of harassment, intimidation, bullying, cyberbullying, and incidents of teen dating violence. The investigator(s) shall be a neutral party having had no involvement in the report presented. All reports will be investigated in accordance with the following procedures:
Step 1 Any reports or information on acts of harassment, intimidation, or bullying, cyberbullying, or incidents of teen dating violence (e.g., complaints, rumors) shall be presented to the principal. Reports against the principal shall be filed with the superintendent. Reports against the superintendent shall be filed with the Board chair. All such information will be reduced to writing and will include the specific nature of the offense and corresponding dates.
Step 2 The principal receiving the report shall promptly investigate. Parents will be notified of the nature of any report involving their student. The principal will arrange such meetings as may be necessary with all concerned parties within five working days after receipt of the information or report. The parties will have an opportunity to submit evidence and a list of witnesses. All findings related to the report will be reduced to writing. The principal conducting the investigation shall notify the person making the report within 10 working days of receipt of the information or report and parents as appropriate, in writing, when the investigation is concluded and a decision regarding disciplinary action, as warranted, is determined. A copy of the notification letter or the date and details of notification to the person making the report, together with any other documentation related to the incident, including disciplinary action taken or recommended, shall be forwarded to the superintendent. Step 3 If the person making the report is not satisfied with the decision at Step 2, they may submit a written appeal to the superintendent or designee. Such appeal must be filed within 10 working days after receipt of the Step 2 decision. The superintendent or designee will arrange such meetings with the person making the report and other affected parties as deemed necessary to discuss the appeal. The superintendent or designee shall provide a written decision to the appeal within 10 working days. Step 4 If the person making the report is not satisfied with the decision at Step 3, a written appeal may be filed with the Board. Such appeal must be filed within 10 working days after receipt of the
Step 3 decision. The Board shall, within 20 working days, conduct a hearing at which time the person making the report shall be given an opportunity to present the report. The Board shall provide a written decision to the person making the report within 10 working days following completion of the hearing. Harassment/Intimidation/Bullying/Cyberbullying/ Teen Dating Violence Complaint Procedures – Student – JFCF-AR 2-2 Reports against the superintendent should be referred to the Board chair on behalf of the Board. The Board chair shall present the report to the Board. If the Board decides an investigation is warranted, the Board may refer the investigation to a third party. When the investigation is complete, the results will be presented to the Board. After receiving the results of the investigation, the Board shall decide, within 20 days, in open session what action, if any, is warranted. Reports against the Board as a whole or against an individual Board member should be made to the Board chair on behalf of the Board. The Board chair shall present the report to the Board. If the Board decides an investigation is warranted, the Board may refer the investigation to a third party. When the investigation is complete, the results will be presented to the Board. After receiving the results of the investigation, the Board shall decide, within 20 days, in open session what action, if any, is warranted. Reports against the Board chair may be made directly to the Board vice chair on behalf of the Board. The Board vice chair shall present the report to the Board. If the Board decides an investigation is warranted, the Board may refer the investigation to a third party. When the investigation is complete, the results will be presented to the Board. After receiving the results of the investigation, the Board shall decide, within 20 days, in open session what action, if any, is warranted. Timelines may be extended upon written agreement between both parties. This also applies to reports filed against the superintendent or any Board member. Direct complaints of discriminatory harassment related to educational programs and services may be made to the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. Documentation related to the incident may be maintained as a part of the student’s education records. Additionally, a copy of all reported acts of harassment, intimidation, bullying, cyberbullying, or incidents of teen dating violence and documentation will be maintained as a confidential file in the district office.
