Bullying Prevention and Reporting
Elkhart Community Schools strives to be a bully-free zone, providing students with a comfortable and safe learning environment.The district uses the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program to teach students appropriate behavior in school hallways, classrooms, playgrounds, lunchrooms, and other areas where students congregate. Our students are also taught appropriate ways to respond to a bully, and how to help a classmate that is being bullied.
What is Olweus?
The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) is a school-wide, comprehensive framework focused on systemic change to create a safe and positive school climate. The goals of the OBPP are to:
- reduce existing bullying problems among students;
- prevent new bullying problems;
- achieve better peer relations.
These goals are pursued by restructuring the school environment to reduce opportunities and rewards for bullying, encouraging pro-social behaviors, and building a sense of community. The OBPP is designed for students in elementary, middle, and high schools and involves all staff, students, parents, and the community in bullying prevention efforts. All students participate in most aspects of the program, while students who bully others and students who are bullied receive additional individualized interventions.
How are staff trained?
Every school has a Bullying Prevention Coordinator who is a trained Olweus Coach. The Bullying Prevention Coordinator ensures that all staff are trained on Olweus and are following the Olweus framework. All staff are trained on the fundamentals of the Olweus Program with special focus on recognizing bullying behaviors, stopping bullying when they see it, supporting the victim, and reporting the bullying to administrators.
How to Report Bullying or Harmful Activity
If you witness or experience bullying or harmful activities, including threats or indications of self-harm, you can report them through Sprigeo.
When submitting a report, please include as much detail as possible. Information such as the names of individuals involved (target, person exhibiting bullying behavior, and witnesses), the date, time, location, and type of bullying helps ensure a thorough investigation. Reports are sent directly to the school administrator of the relevant building and will be reviewed by school personnel.
What to do if your child witnesses bullying
- Teach your child how to get help without getting hurt
- Encourage your child to verbally intervene if it is safe to do so by saying such things as “Cool it! This isn’t going to solve anything”
- Tell your child not to cheer on or even quietly watch bullying; this only encourages a child who bullies – who wants to be the center of attention
- Help your child support others who tend to be bullied
- Teach your child to include these children in activities
- Praise and reward “quiet acts of courage” where your child tried to do the right thing to stop bullying, even if they were not successful
What to Do If Your Child Is Being Bullied
- Never tell your child to ignore the bullying.
- Don’t blame your child for the bullying or assume they did something to provoke it.
- Allow your child to talk about their bullying experiences, and write down what they share.
- Empathize with your child. Let them know bullying is wrong, it’s not their fault, and you’re glad they had the courage to tell you.
- If you disagree with how your child handled the bullying situation, avoid criticizing them. It is often very difficult for children to know how best to respond.
- Do not encourage physical retaliation.
- Check your emotions. A parent’s protective instincts can stir strong emotions. Step back and carefully consider the next steps.
- Contact a teacher, school counselor, social worker, or principal immediately to share your concerns about the bullying your child experienced.
- Work closely with school personnel to help solve the problem.
- Encourage your child to develop interests and hobbies that build resilience in difficult situations like bullying.
- Encourage your child to connect with friendly students in their class or help them meet new friends outside of school.
- Teach your child safety strategies, such as how to seek help from an adult.
- If you or your child need additional assistance, seek help from a school counselor, social worker, or mental health professional.
Understanding Bullying
Bullying behaviors are intentional actions involving unwanted or unwelcome behaviors that are severe, persistent, or pervasive.
Bullying includes unwanted acts or gestures, such as verbal or written communications or images transmitted in any manner (including digitally or electronically), physical acts, aggression, or other behaviors committed by a student or group of students against another student. These actions can harass, ridicule, humiliate, intimidate, or harm the targeted student, creating an objectively hostile school environment that:
- Places the targeted student in reasonable fear of harm to their person or property;
- Has a substantially detrimental effect on the targeted student’s physical or mental health;
- Substantially interferes with the targeted student’s academic performance; or
- Substantially interferes with the targeted student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, and privileges provided by the school.
It is important to understand the difference between a conflict and bullying behavior:
- A conflict is a disagreement or antagonism between two or more people. All parties involved share some responsibility in the encounter. Conflict resolution strategies can be employed to find common ground because both parties have a vested interest in resolving the conflict.
- Bullying is abuse and needs to be reported.