The Holidays are usually thought of as a time of joy, peace and goodwill by most. Unfortunately, research has found that nearly 30% of middle school students have concerns in regard to returning to school after Holiday break due to bullying. Bullied students become chronically absent students that cost schools millions of dollars. High school drop out rates most frequently occur after the school Holiday break with “classroom boredom” ranked as the number one reason followed closely by number two “being bullied” as the primary causes for leaving school before graduating. A different study showed that 2 out of 10 high school students are bullied to such a degree that they won’t raise their hands to answer questions in class due to bullying and ridicule, ...
Bullying happens each and every day. In fact, one in three students has been bullied at school. And it can happen to children of any age — whether it’s at school, on the playground, or even on social media, bullying is a very real problem. Bullying can come in many forms, including physical, social, verbal, and cyberbullying. In today’s tech-savvy age, cyberbullying is extremely common and it’s, unfortunately, one of the hardest types of bullying to spot. So what should parents know about bullying? Let’s take a look at how parents can spot warning signs of bullying and what they should do about it. Warning Signs of Bullying The most important thing for parents to do is be able to ...
The following post is intended to help principals address incidences of bullying. The below tips and strategies are not exhaustive and readers are encouraged develop their own best practice guides. More importantly, these suggestions do not replace policies, procedures, and guidelines put forth by local Districts and/or School Boards. This document uses the term bullying to encapsulate both traditional bullying and cyberbullying. When working with a perpetrator, target and/or bystander it is helpful to understand the individual’s lived experiences. Secondly, principals and school staff are expected to provide a safe learning environment for all. Listen, understand, validate When an individual reports an incident of bullying, provide space for them to speak and to be heard. It takes courage to report ...
Harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB) legislation revolves around preventing, reporting, investigating and responding to incidents that occur on school grounds and off school grounds under specified circumstances. Laws were adopted, in part, in response research on the incidence, prevalence and effects of HIB that has emerged since the adoption of the original HIB law in 2002. Some of the main states that specifically define HIB in their legislation include New Jersey and Washington. While controversy exists whether such HIB laws and legislation actually reduce the number of incidents or improve things like school climate and safety, the laws are here to stay and its important to understand their implications. It is becoming an important reality that schools must follow such laws or face ...
Seth’s Law (AB 9) aims at strengthening existing state anti-bullying laws to help protect California public school students. Like many other state legislation enactments, Seth’s Law requires public schools in California to update their anti-bullying policies and programs. The law focuses on protecting students who are bullied based on who they are. Their sexual orientation, gender identity as well as race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, and religion among others. Background of Seth’s Law Seth’s Law was named after Seth, a 13-year-old California student that tragically took his own life in 2010 after years of persistent anti-gay bullying. The bill was first filed with the Secretary of State in 2011 and has been accepted and amended several times since. Discrimination Policy for ...
Most teens find it difficult to open up to anyone, let alone parents. When it comes to broaching certain subjects–bullying, drugs, bad decisions–no one wants to take that awkward step. The unavoidable truth, however, is that your parents are the very people you should talk to about those things. While you may think they’ll be unsupportive or jump to conclusions, it might not be as bad as you’re imagining. The only way to find out is to open up a little and lay the groundwork for a respectful, honest talk. One of the best ways to do this is to start opening up communication about small things. It’s tempting to go straight to your room when you get home from ...
Much like other states across the country, Ohio’s public schools must enact policies that prohibit student harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB). The law defines “harassment, intimidation and bullying” to be any intentional written, verbal, electronic or physical act that one student has taken against another student more than one time. The action must have resulted in either physical or mental harm. The bullying must also be sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive. The law’s aim is to protect children and prevent an environment that is threatening, intimidating or abusive for the victim. State Senator Sandra Williams of Cleveland wants to take Ohio’s anti-bullying laws farther. She has introduced Senate Bills 196 and 197, which create an “aggravated bullying charge for juveniles.” She’s sending a ...
Several state laws in Mississippi prohibit bullying or harassing behavior in Mississippi public schools. SB 2015, passed in the regular session of 2010, addresses bullying by identifying it and requiring schools to define policies against bullying and harassment. A more recent bill, Senate House Bill #263 aims to further strengthen anti-bullying measures. The overall goal of the bill is to put in place mandatory training for school staff on bullying and suicide prevention and ensure proper reporting procedures are in place. Legislatures wish to decrease the rate of suicide in youth and across the state of Mississippi which many professionals attribute to bullying and harassment within public schools. The CDC put out a report on its research on the link between bullying and suicide. ...
SB 179, drafted by José Menéndez, cleared both House and Senate with bipartisan support in late May 2017. Menéndez claims it would “empower schools, parents, and law enforcement to tackle cyberbullying.” The bill, known as David’s Law, honors a high school student from Alamo Heights who was subjected to fierce cyberbullying before he took his own life last year. The bill will take effect Sept. 1 and Texas schools and districts are taking note of the implications it has on their policies and procedures. At a high level, the bill requires better reporting procedures, notification of parents within a specific timeframe, and district-wide policies. Although some of the sections might be difficult to interpret, some of the main points include District-wide anti-cyberbullying policies ...
There’s no doubt that the Student Information System (SIS) sits at the center of a school or district’s technological toolbox. The SIS tracks everything from grades to attendance to emergency contact information for students and more. The SIS in many districts serves as the central data warehouse where all information passes through. Integrations through Single Sign On (SSO) and Application Program Interfaces (APIs) help partnering tools hook into the SIS to update student records and tie various technology tools together. This helps teachers, administrators, and parents easily access information in a central place. Everything about the school operations and the students can easily be accessed in one place. But can this SIS get too big and too powerful? Who are ...
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