I. LEADERSHIP
On or before December 31, 2010, CASE will submit the CHS Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and post it on the CASE website. The Plan will be reviewed and updated at least biennially, as mandated by M.G.L. c. 71, § 37O sec. 5(d), s. 15.
A. Public involvement in developing the Plan
As required by M.G.L. c. 71, § 37O, the Plan is developed in consultation with CHS’s various constituencies. This involvement includes:
CHS staff, professional support personnel, school volunteers, students, parents and guardians, local law enforcement agencies, interested community representatives, CASE administrators, CASE member district representatives, and the CASE Board of Directors. This process will be conducted biennially.
Consultation includes, at a minimum, notice and a public comment period before the Board of Directors adopts the Plan.
B. Assessing needs and resources
The CHS Program Administrator, with input from families and staff, assesses the adequacy of current programs by December 1st. This includes the following:
C. Planning and oversight.
The CHS Program Administrator is responsible for the following tasks under the Plan:
D. Priority statements
CHS expects that all members of the school community will treat each other in a civil manner and with respect for differences.
CHS is committed to providing all students with a safe learning environment that is free from bullying and cyber-bullying. This commitment is an integral part of our comprehensive efforts to promote learning, and to prevent and eliminate all forms of bullying and other harmful and disruptive behavior that can impede the learning process.
The CHS community understands that members of certain student groups, such as students with disabilities, students who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender, and homeless students may be more vulnerable to becoming targets of bullying, harassment, or teasing. CHS will take specific steps to create a safe, supportive environment for vulnerable populations in the school community, and provide all students with the skills, knowledge, and strategies to prevent or respond to bullying, harassment, or teasing.
CHS will not tolerate any unlawful or disruptive behavior, including any form of bullying, cyber-bullying, or retaliation, in our school buildings, on school grounds, or in school-related activities. We will investigate promptly all reports and complaints of bullying, cyber-bullying, and retaliation, and take prompt action to end that behavior and restore a target’s sense of safety. We will support this commitment in all aspects of our school community, including curricula, instructional programs, staff development, extracurricular activities, and parent or guardian involvement.
The Plan is a comprehensive approach to addressing bullying and cyber-bullying. CHS is committed to working with students, staff, families, law enforcement agencies, and the community to prevent issues of bullying and violence. In consultation with these constituencies, we have established this Plan for preventing, intervening, and responding to incidents of bullying, cyber-bullying, and retaliation. The CHS Administrator is responsible for the implementation and oversight of the Plan.
II. TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
A. Annual staff training on the Plan
Annual training for all CHS staff on the Plan will include staff duties under the Plan, an overview of the steps that the CHS Administrator or designee will follow upon receipt of a report of bullying or retaliation, and an overview of the bullying prevention curricula to be offered at all grades throughout the school. Staff members hired after the start of the school year are required to participate in school-based training during the school year in which they are hired, unless they can demonstrate participation in an acceptable and comparable program within the last two years.
B. Ongoing professional development
The goal of professional development is to establish a common understanding of the tools necessary for staff to create a school climate that promotes safety, civil communication, and respect for differences. Professional development will build the skills of staff members to prevent, identify, and respond to bullying. As required by M.G.L. c. 71, § 37O, the content of professional development will be informed by research and will include information on:
Professional development will also address ways to prevent and respond to bullying or retaliation for students with disabilities that must be considered when developing students’ Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). This will include a particular focus on the needs of students with autism or students whose disability affects social skills development.
Additional areas identified by the school for professional development include:
C. Written notice to staff
CHS will provide all staff with an annual written notice of the Plan by publishing information about it, including sections related to staff duties, in the school employee handbook and the code of conduct.
III. ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND SERVICES
A. Identifying resources
CHS has trained counselors on staff who are available to provide services to targets, aggressors, and their families. Resources for targets, aggressors, and their families may include, but are not limited to: adopting new curricula, reorganizing staff, establishing safety planning teams, and identifying other agencies that can provide services. The CHS resources include, but are not limited to: CHS Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan Resource List, Appendix B.
The CHS Program Administrator is responsible for providing a bibliography of anti-bullying resources including, but not limited to: the CHS Bullying Policy, Prevention and Intervention Plan curriculum; instructional guides and materials; CHS Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan curriculum; adopted related curricula, relevant articles for professional, student, and parent use; data on the prevalence and characteristics of bullying and behavioral issues; parent and student brochures; curriculum and books that help foster a sense of positive and proactive school community and culture; relevant and useful websites; and linkages with community based organizations, including Community Service Agencies (CSA) for Medicaid eligible students. These include resources that provide related services to student aggressors or targets and their families.
The CHS Program Administrator or designee will conduct an exhaustive search for materials that are research based or field-tested, age appropriate, well designed and user-friendly. The CHS Program Administrator or designee will draw resources from a variety of venues such as: the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, field expert recommendations, colleagues both within CHS and other districts, parents, students, Law Enforcement, MA District Attorney, and the Internet.
Resources will be evaluated by factors such as: the documented success rate; developmental appropriateness; resource design structure in keeping with CHS pedagogical theory; cultural and linguistic match with the CHS student and parent population; creative presentation of high interest to the population such that it encourages student engagement to find solutions and use critical thinking skills.
B. Counseling and other services
CHS has a reference area identified in which culturally and linguistically appropriate resources are located. This includes, but is not limited to, the CHS handbook translations matched to the CHS student and parent population. Translators are provided, as needed.
A list of staff and service providers who may assist CHS in developing safety plans for students who have been targets of bullying or retaliation, providing social skills programs to prevent bullying, and offering education and/or intervention services for students exhibiting bullying behaviors, is available to all students and their families. CHS uses a variety of tools including, but not limited to, behavioral intervention plans, social skills groups, and individually focused curricula.
C. Students with disabilities
As required by M.G.L. c. 71B, § 3, as amended by Chapter 92 of the Acts of 2010, when an IEP Team determines a student has a disability that affects social skills development or the student may participate in, or is vulnerable to, bullying, harassment, or teasing because of his/her disability, the Team will consider what should be included in the IEP to develop the student's skills and proficiencies to avoid and respond to bullying, harassment, or teasing.
D. Referral to outside services
CHS has established a referral protocol for families to access appropriate and timely services. Referrals comply with relevant laws and policies. Current local referral protocols are evaluated on an ongoing basis to assess their relevance to the Plan, and revised as needed.
IV. ACADEMIC AND NON-ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES
A. Specific bullying prevention approaches
Bullying prevention curricula will be informed by current research that, among other things, emphasizes the following approaches:
Initiatives will also teach students about the student-related sections of the Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan. CHS staff will review the Plan with students by October 1st of each school year.
B. General teaching approaches that support bullying prevention efforts
The following approaches are integral to establishing a safe and supportive school environment. These underscore the importance of the CHS bullying intervention and prevention initiatives:
V. POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR REPORTING AND RESPONDING TO BULLYING AND RETALIATION
A. Reporting bullying or retaliation
Reports of bullying or retaliation may be made by staff, students, parents or guardians, or others, and may be oral or written. Oral reports made by or to a staff member shall be recorded in writing. CHS staff members will report immediately to the CHS Program Administrator or designee any instance of bullying or retaliation the staff member becomes aware of or witnesses. Reports made by students, parents or guardians, or other individuals, may be made anonymously. CHS will make a variety of reporting resources available to the school community including, but not limited to, a Bullying Incident Reporting Form (see Appendix A), a voicemail box, a dedicated mailing address, and an email address.
Use of a Bullying Incident Reporting Form is not required as a condition of making a report. CHS will:
The Bullying Incident Reporting Form will be made available in the most prevalent language(s) of origin of students and parents or guardians.
At the beginning of each school year, CHS will provide the school community, including staff, students, and parents or guardians with written notice of its policies for reporting acts of bullying and retaliation. A description of the reporting procedures and resources, including the name and contact information of the CHS Program Administrator or designee, will be incorporated in student and staff handbooks, on the CASE website, and in information about the Plan that is made available to parents or guardians.
1. Reporting by Staff
A staff member will report immediately to the CHS Program Administrator or designee when he/she witnesses or becomes aware of conduct that may be bullying or retaliation. The requirement to report to the CHS Program Administrator or designee does not limit the authority of the staff member to respond to behavioral or disciplinary incidents consistent with school or CASE policies and procedures for behavior management and discipline.
2. Reporting by Students, Parents or Guardians, and Others
CHS expects students, parents or guardians, and others, who witness or become aware of an instance of bullying or retaliation involving a student, to report it to the CHS Program Administrator or designee. Reports may be made anonymously, but no disciplinary action will be taken against an alleged aggressor solely on the basis of an anonymous report. Students, parents or guardians, and others may request assistance from a staff member to complete a written report. Students will be provided practical, safe, private and age-appropriate ways to report and discuss an incident of bullying with a staff member, or with the CHS Program Administrator or designee.
B. Responding to a report of bullying or retaliation
1. Safety
Before fully investigating the allegations of bullying or retaliation, the CHS Program Administrator or designee will take steps to assess the need to restore a sense of safety to the alleged target and/or to protect the alleged target from possible further incidents. Responses to promote safety may include, but not be limited to, creating a personal safety plan; pre-determining seating arrangements for the target and/or the aggressor in the classroom, at lunch, or on a transportation vehicle; identifying a staff member who will act as a “safe person” for the target; and altering the aggressor’s schedule and access to the target. The CHS Program Administrator or designee will take additional steps to promote safety during the course of and after the investigation, as necessary.
The CHS Program Administrator or designee will implement appropriate strategies for protecting from bullying or retaliation a student who has reported bullying or retaliation, a student who has witnessed bullying or retaliation, a student who provides information during an investigation, or a student who has reliable information about a reported act of bullying or retaliation.
2. Obligations to Notify Others
a. Notice to parents or guardians
Upon determining that bullying or retaliation has occurred, the CHS Program Administrator or designee will promptly notify the parents or guardians of the target and the aggressor of this finding, and of the procedures for responding to it. There may be circumstances in which the CHS Program Administrator or designee contacts parents or guardians prior to any investigation. Notice will be consistent with state regulations, 603 CMR 49.00.
b. Notice to Another School or District
If a reported incident involves students from more than one school district, charter school, non-public school, approved private special education day or residential school, or collaborative school, the CHS Program Administrator or designee who was informed first of the incident will promptly notify by telephone the School Administrator or designee of the other school(s) of the incident so that each school may take appropriate action. All communications will be in accordance with state and Federal privacy laws and regulations, and 603 CMR 49.00.
c. Notice to Law Enforcement
At any point after receiving a report of bullying or retaliation, including after an investigation, if the CHS Program Administrator or designee has a reasonable basis to believe that criminal charges may be pursued against the aggressor, the CHS Program Administrator will notify the local law enforcement agency. Notice will be consistent with the requirements of 603 CMR 49.00 and locally established agreements with the local law enforcement agency. Also, if an incident occurs on school grounds and involves a former student under the age of 21, who is no longer enrolled in school, the CHS Program Administrator or designee shall contact the local law enforcement agency if he or she has a reasonable basis to believe that criminal charges may be pursued against the aggressor.
In making this determination, the CHS Program Administrator will, consistent with the Plan and with applicable CHS policies and procedures, consult with the school resource officer, and other individuals the CHS Program Administrator or designee deems appropriate.
C. Investigation
The CHS Program Administrator or designee will investigate promptly all reports of bullying or retaliation and, in doing so, will consider all available information known, including the nature of the allegation(s) and the ages of the students involved.
During the investigation the CHS Program Administrator or designee will, among other things, interview students, staff, witnesses, parents or guardians, and others as necessary. The CHS Program Administrator or designee will remind the alleged aggressor, target, and witnesses that retaliation is strictly prohibited and will result in disciplinary action.
The CHS Program Administrator or designee, other staff members as determined by the CHS Program Administrator or designee, and in consultation with a school counselor, as appropriate, may conduct interviews. To the extent practical, and given his/her obligation to investigate and address the matter, the CHS Program Administrator or designee will maintain confidentiality during the investigative process. The CHS Program Administrator or designee will maintain a written record of the investigation, including the preservation of all email and text communications.
Procedures for investigating reports of bullying and retaliation will be consistent with CHS policies and procedures for investigations. If necessary, the CHS Program Administrator or designee will, with the consent of the Executive Director, consult with legal counsel about the investigation.
D. Determinations
The CHS Program Administrator or designee will make a determination based upon all of the facts and circumstances. If, after an investigation, bullying or retaliation is substantiated, the CHS Program Administrator or designee will take steps reasonably calculated to prevent recurrence and to ensure that the target is not restricted in participating in school or in benefiting from school activities. The CHS Program Administrator or designee will:
Depending upon the circumstances, the CHS Program Administrator or designee may choose to consult with the students’ teacher(s) and/or school counselor, and the target’s or aggressor’s parents or guardians, to identify any underlying social or emotional issue(s) that may have contributed to the bullying behavior and to assess the level of need for additional social skills development.
The CHS Program Administrator or designee will promptly notify the parents or guardians of the target and the aggressor about the results of the investigation and, if bullying or retaliation is found, what action is being taken to prevent further acts of bullying or retaliation. All notice to parents must comply with applicable state and Federal privacy laws and regulations. Because of the legal requirements regarding the confidentiality of student records, the CHS Program Administrator or designee cannot report specific information to the target’s parent or guardian about the disciplinary action taken unless it involves a “stay away” order or other directive that the target must be aware of in order to report violations.
E. Responses to Bullying
1. Teaching Appropriate Behavior Through Skills Building
Upon the CHS Program Administrator or designee determining that bullying or retaliation has occurred, CHS will use a range of responses that balance the need for accountability with the need to teach appropriate behavior (M.G.L. c. 71, § 37O(d)(v)). Skill building approaches that the CHS Program Administrator or designee may consider include:
2. Taking Disciplinary Action
If the CHS Program Administrator or designee decides that disciplinary action is appropriate, the disciplinary action will be determined on the basis of facts found by the CHS Program Administrator or designee, including the nature of the conduct, the age of the student(s) involved, and the need to balance accountability with the teaching of appropriate behavior. Discipline will be consistent with the Plan and with the CHS’s code of conduct. Discipline procedures for students with disabilities are governed by the Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, which will be considered in conjunction with state laws regarding student discipline.
If the CHS Program Administrator or designee determines that a student knowingly made a false allegation of bullying or retaliation, that student may be subject to disciplinary action.
3. Promoting Safety for the Target and Others
The CHS Program Administrator or designee will consider what adjustments, if any, are needed in the school environment to enhance the target's sense of safety and that of others as well. One strategy that the CHS Program Administrator or designee may use is to increase adult supervision at transition times and in locations where bullying is known to have occurred or is likely to occur. Anti-bullying signs will be posted in these areas. CHS staff will enlist students to help create these products.
Within a reasonable period of time following the determination and the ordering of remedial and/or disciplinary action, the CHS Program Administrator or designee will contact the target to determine whether there has been a recurrence of the prohibited conduct and whether additional supportive measures are needed. If so, the CHS Program Administrator or designee will work with appropriate school staff to implement them immediately.
VI. COLLABORATION WITH FAMILIES
A. Parent education and resources
CHS will offer education programs for parents and guardians that are focused on the parental components of the anti-bullying curricula and any social competency curricula used by CHS. The programs will be offered in collaboration with the Special Education Parent Advisory Council, or similar organizations.
B. Notification requirements
Each year CHS will inform parents or guardians of enrolled students about the anti-bullying curricula that are being used. This notice will include information about the dynamics of bullying, including cyber-bullying and online safety. CHS will send parents written notice each year about the student-related sections of the Plan and the school's Internet safety policy. All notices and information made available to parents or guardians will be in hard copy and electronic formats, and will be available in the language(s) most prevalent among parents or guardians. The school will post the Plan and related information on its website.
VII. PROHIBITION AGAINST BULLYING AND RETALIATION
Acts of bullying, which include cyber-bullying, are prohibited:
Retaliation against a person who reports bullying, provides information during an investigation of bullying, or witnesses or has reliable information about bullying is also prohibited. As stated in M.G.L. c. 71, § 37O, nothing in this Plan requires CASE or CHS to staff any non-school related activities, functions, or programs. VIII. DEFINITIONS
In order to work as collaboratively and as efficaciously as possible, to prevent and intervene on all acts of bullying, it is essential for school personnel, students, parents or guardians, law enforcement agencies, and other interested parties to use common language. The following definitions are provided to facilitate this goal.
Aggressoris a student who engages in bullying, cyber-bullying, or retaliation.
Bullying, as defined in M.G.L. c. 71, § 37O, is the repeated use by one or more students of a written, verbal, or electronic expression or a physical act or gesture, or any combination thereof, directed at a target that:
Cyber-bullying is bullying through the use of technology or electronic devices such as telephones, cell phones, computers, and the Internet. It includes, but is not limited to, email, instant messages, text messages, and Internet postings. See M.G.L. c. 71, § 37O for the legal definition of cyber-bullying.
Hostile environment, as defined in M.G.L. c. 71, § 37O, is a situation in which bullying causes the school environment to be permeated with intimidation, ridicule, or insult that is sufficiently severe or pervasive so as to alter the conditions of a student’s education.
Retaliation is any form of intimidation, reprisal, or harassment directed against a student who reports bullying, provides information during an investigation of bullying, or witnesses or has reliable information about bullying.
Staff includes, but is not limited to, educators, administrators, counselors, school nurses, cafeteria workers, custodians, bus drivers, athletic coaches, advisors to extracurricular activities, support staff, or paraprofessionals.
Target is a student against whom bullying, cyber-bullying, or retaliation has been perpetrated.
IX. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAWS
Consistent with state and Federal laws, and the policies of CHS and CASE, no person shall be discriminated against in admission to a public school of any town or in obtaining the advantages, privilege and courses of study of such public school on account of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation. Nothing in the Plan prevents CHS or CASE from taking action to remediate discrimination or harassment based on a person’s membership in a legally protected category under local, state, or Federal law, or CHS and CASE policies.
In addition, nothing in the Plan is designed or intended to limit the authority of the school to take disciplinary action or other action under M.G.L. c. 71, §§ 37H or 37H1/2, other applicable laws, or local school or Collaborative policies in response to violent, harmful, or disruptive behavior, regardless of whether the Plan covers the behavior.
APPENDIX A
BULLYING INCIDENT REPORTING FORM
(see link to form in the menu on the left) APPENDIX B
CHS BULLYING PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION PLAN RESOURCE LIST
Consultants
The National Education Association (NEA) encourages schools to bring outside bullying prevention consultants into the school system to build internal knowledge and capacity. The NEA can train school staff and assist in developing a “Whole School Bullying Prevention/Intervention Program” at no cost.
Curriculum Guides and Instructional Materials:
1) Direct From the Field- A Guide to Bullying Prevention, Parker-Roerden, Rudewick, Gorton, A Joint Project of the Governor’s Task Force on Hate Crimes, the MA Commission on GLBT Youth, and the MA Department of Public Health, 2007
2) Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use, Instructional Scope and Sequence
www.cyberbully.org 3) Thirty-nine guidelines for providing effective social and emotional learning are presented in the book by CASEL entitled Promoting Social and Emotional Learning: Guidelines for Educators (ASCD, 1997)
4) Sexual Harassment Guidance: Harassment of Students by School Employees, Other Students, or Third Parties published by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, available for download at: www.ed.gov/offices/OCR/archives/shguide/index.html
5) Flirting or Hurting? A Teacher’s Guide on Student-to-Student Sexual Harassment in Schools by Nan Stein and Lisa Sjostrom (National Education Association, 1994)
6) Don’t Laugh at Me curriculum from Operation Respect available at no charge at www.operationrespect.org includes bullying prevention, conflict resolution, and other inter-group relationship curricula including activities for creating group agreements.
7) Nancy Beardall, “Creating a Peaceable School: Confronting Intolerance and Bullying,” Office of Curriculum and Instruction, Newton Public Schools, fall, 2004
8) Nancy Beardall,“Working as Allies to Promote Gender Respect and Prevent Harassment,” Newton Public Schools,2006
9) The Soul of Education (ASCD, 2000), and the Shaping School Culture Fieldbook by Terrence Deal and Kent Peterson (Jossey-Bass, 2002), or read about Kent Petterson’s work on positive school culture at http://www.learningforward.org/news/getDocument.cfm?articleID=430
10)ADA Edward Bedrosian, “When Bullying Becomes a Crime,” Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, 2005
11)Nancy Willard, “Educators Guide to Cyber-bullying and Cyber-threats,” Center for Safe and Responsible Use of the Internet, April 2007
12)Schaps, Eric. “Creating a School Community,” Educational Leadership, March 2003, pp. 31-33
Films:
1) Mean Creek “follows a crisis in the lives of its teen characters, keenly directed by first-timer Jacob Aaron Estes. The journey within begins as a plot for playful payback on a local troublemaker; the journey onscreen begins with a river, as a ragtag group of troubled-and-not teenagers set out on a boat trip to celebrate the birthday of their youngest member. As a sort of boyish Heart of Darkness trip develops, cracks in the crew form when some of the teens have second thoughts about what they are about to do....Mean Creek exposes a strange natural growth that appears in the nuanced performances of a fantastic cast, almost as if audience and child are forced to grow up together. What is so fascinating is watching an instinct-driven morality play itself out, swirl in fits and starts, float along for a while, and then finally settle into decisions that will haunt the characters for the rest of their lives.”
2) The Broken Toy Project offers films useful in launching bullying prevention efforts. Its films feature young people talking frankly about bullying and are appropriate for both elementary and secondary school levels. Go to: www.jaredstory.com
3) My Bodyguard (1980), starring Christopher Makepeace, Adam Baldwin, and Matt Dillon - a Tony Bill film, is highly recommended. The new kid at school hires the meanest boy in town when a bully picks on him.
4) Elephant, “is about two high school students, Alex (Alex Frost) and Eric (Eric Deulen), two close friends and students in a suburb of Portland, who calmly plan and perform a mass execution of their classmates and school administrators in the course of one day. Eric and Alex are seemingly ordinary, and very much a part of the fabric of the high school and its array of student actions. In fact, it's hard to distinguish them from all the other students. Alex plays classical piano whereas Eric plays video games. They calmly watch Nazi programs on TV and purchase firearms over the Internet. They seem just as ordinary and interesting as any of the other students. They analytically draw up plans for their merciless killing spree, indicating that they have enough bombs and ordinance to last the afternoon. They walk through the school, killing several of their school peers, and there is no rescue from the authorities. And so the misunderstanding of a nation's youth begins.”
5) Ronan’s Escape, a Perth-made film about the devastating effects of bullying has picked up an international film award. Produced by former Murdoch University media student Brad Major and wrtiten and directed by AJ Carter, Ronan's Escape recently received the highest award at the prestigious 2010 Sedona International Film Festival in Arizona, with the Best Short Film (Director's Choice) award.
Literature:
1) Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers: A Novel(Harvest Books, 1997), the coming-of-age tale of a 12-year-old Japanese-American girl named Lovey Nariyoshi living in Hawaii features Lovey who struggles to fit in a world where it feels important to have “straight blond hair and long Miss America legs.” Use this book as a launching point to discuss the various ways young people in your school who do not fit in, or are different in some way, are treated. Explore the role of peer pressure in acts of bullying, and bystander intervention as a response. Ask: “Has there ever been a time that you did something like make fun of someone else, just to fit in? How can we make being caring and appreciative of differences “cool” in our school? Any ideas?”
2) A literary classic that addresses bullying head-on is Tom Brown’s School Days, by the 19th century English author Thomas Hughes (Oxford World’s Classics, 1999). The book and the 2004 BBC film based on it demonstrate the importance of peer support for targets and the vital role that engaged administrators can play in promoting caring behavior among students. The book can serve as a catalyst for discussions of bystander responsibility, and ways in which peers can come to the aid of targets.
Needs Assessment Tools
1) The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), www.casel.org, is an organization that provides national and international leadership to enhance scientific research on social and emotional learning (SEL). They provide surveys and inventories for staff and students, related to school climate and school behavior.
2) CASEL also offers thirty-nine guidelines for providing effective social and emotional learning in Promoting Social and Emotional Learning: Guidelines for Educators (ASCD, 1997).
3) CHS Parent Support Services and Advisory Group
4) CHS student Anti-Bullying Task Force
Other On-line Resources:
1) The Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance project at www.tolerance.org
2) The Anti-Defamation League at www.adl.org/education/edu_awod/default.asp
3) A complete discussion of how to create an anti-harassment program and address hate crimes at the web site of:
www.adl.org 4) Schaps, Eric. Creating a School Community. Educational Leadership, March 2003, pp. 31-33
Parent Resources:
1) Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center (MARC) at www.MARCcenter.org
2) Working together to Create Safe Schools-Resources for teaming up with parents to prevent bullying and harassment, great ideas for working with communities at www.nssc1.org
3) “What to Tell Your Child About Prejudice and Discrimination," a joint effort of the National PTA and Anti-Defamation League (ADL), is available through the ADL’s Resource Center, 823 United Nation Plaza, NY, NY 10017, or by calling 212-885-7951 or visiting www.adl.org
4) A useful fact sheet on preventing violence and bullying can be found at www.yic.gov/drugfree/prevention.html with materials in English and Spanish
5) “What Parents Need to Know about My Space- Your Guide to a Kid’s World on the Internet, How to Keep Teens Safe, To Snoop or Not,” U.S. World and News Report, Sept. 18, 2006, www.usnews.com
6) “Stop Bullying Now- What to Do if Your Child is Being Bullied,” US Department of Health Services and Resources, 2002
7) “Facts for Families –Bullying,” American Academy of Child and adolescent Psychiatry, No. 80, May 2008
8) “Internet Safety,” Commonwealth of MA, 2010
Research
1) NIDA InfoFacts: Lessons from Prevention Research, available at
http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/lessons.html 2) McGill, D.E., Mihalic, S.F., & Grotpeter, J. K. (1997). Blueprints for Violence Prevention: Book Two: Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America. Boulder, CO: Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence
3) U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, National Association of Attorneys General (1999). Protecting Students from Harassment and Hate Crimes. Available online www.ed.gov/offices/OCR/archives/Harassment/index.html
4) “Sticks and Stones May Break Their Bones: Teasing As Bullying,” in Reclaiming Children and Youth 9.2, Summer 2000, pp 87–91. Researchers Hoover and Olson have looked extensively at teasing in the context of bullying.
5) The Final Report and Findings of the Safe School Initiative: Implications for the Prevention of School Attacks in the United States (2002), available online at
www.secretservice.gov/ntac/ssi_final_report.pdf 6) “Girls Are More Likely to Suffer Cyberbullying” reported in the Guardian Unlimited, March 22, 2007, available at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/mar/22/news.pupilbehaviour 7) The 2009 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior (MYRBS), Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
8) American Association of University Women, Hostile Hallways: Bullying, Teasing and Sexual Harassment in School (2001), available at http://www.aauw.org/research/all.cfm
9) “Teens and Cyberbullying- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF A REPORT ON RESEARCH” conducted for the National Crime Prevention Council(NCPC), released February 28, 2007
Student Resources:
1) Great resources for young people at www.bullystoppers.com
2) “Cyber-Savvy,” Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use, 2010
3) Public service announcements, www.ncpc.org
5) Prevention Works, a blog by the National Crime Prevention Council, August 9, 2007, includes information on the dangers of young people using Internet sites.
APPENDIX C
TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY
CASE Collaborative Student Access to APS/ABRSD Infrastructure
This Acceptable Use Policy is designed to make the APS/ABRSD technology infrastructure available to computers being used by students within
CASE Collaborative spaces. The cooperation and adherence to these guidelines and policies is required to maintain access to the district's technology resources. Acceptable Use
• The district’s network infrastructure is provided to the CASE Collaborative as an educational resource for students and staff. Class and course-related use of the network should take priority and all non-educational use should be dependent on the availability of network capacity.
• Students using the district’s network are expected to cooperate with the staff members supervising computer access and follow the instructions below for computer use. This includes, but is not limited to, specific guidelines for downloading from the Internet, streaming audio and/or video, and playing educational games. Other games, chat, and instant messaging are not allowed.
• Each user bears full responsibility for his or her actions. Users shall assume full liability (legal, financial, or otherwise) for their actions. In addition, the district takes no responsibility for any information or materials that are transferred through the Internet.
• Students may not connect personal computers, peripherals, network equipment, or other devices to the district’s network. This includes peer-to-peer network equipment.
• No changes in computer network settings may be made without the authorization of the CASE staff.
• Use of the network to develop or knowingly pass along viruses or other programs that infiltrate/damage computers or computing systems is prohibited.
• In order to be compliant with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), all student computers are subject to network monitoring by authorized district staff.
Access To District Technology Resources
• Student access to district network resources is dependent on compliance with the policies outlined here.
• The district will advise appropriate CASE staff and law enforcement agencies of illegal activities conducted through the district’s network. The district also will cooperate fully with local, state, and/or federal officials in any investigation related to any illegal activities conducted through the service.
Etiquette/Online Safety/Plagiarism/Communication
• Accessing the district’s network to create, access, download, edit, view, store, send or print materials that are illegal, offensive, harassing, intimidating, discriminatory, sexually explicit or graphic, pornographic, obscene or otherwise inconsistent with the values and general standards of the district is prohibited.
• Students should never give out personal information over the district’s network.
• Users should assume that all materials available on the Internet are protected by copyright.
• Use of the district’s computers or network to access any of the following types of web sites is prohibited:
- Any site displaying sexually explicit or pornographic content of any kind
- Any site containing on-line games
- Any site promoting violence, hate, the use of controlled substances, or other illegal activities
- Any site promoting a multi-level marketing, home-based business or other money-making scheme, mass solicitations (colloquially known as “spam”), chain letters.
Vandalism
· Tampering with, altering, or “hacking” into the district’s computer, network, or peripherals is considered vandalism and is not permitted.
· Users may not use the network to perform any act that may be construed as illegal or unethical, including use of the network to gain access to non-public resources on the network or on the Internet.
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Central Office: 120 Meriam Road Concord MA 01742 Tel: 978-318-1534 Fax: 978-371-7858 |