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Bullying has a negative effect on the social environment of schools, creates a climate of fear among students, inhibits the ability to learn, and leads to other antisocial behavior. Other detrimental effects of bullying include impact on school safety, student engagement, and the overall school environment. Oklahoma state law declares that any form, type, or level of bullying is prohibited, and that every incident of behavior that may constitute bullying should be taken seriously by school administrators, school staff (including teachers), students, and parents. Below is a list of frequently asked questions to help schools and parents understand and successfully prevent bullying behavior.
What is bullying? What are the warning signs of bullying? What can I do if I am being bullied? How can I avoid being bullied? What do I do if my child is bullied? How do I report bullying incidents at my child's school? How do I file a complaint on a school district? Are there laws on bullying and harassment? Can bullying be a civil rights violation? Are schools required to educate students on bullying prevention? What are a school district's responsibilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to address bullying of students with disabilities? What is in an effective bullying prevention policy? What can I do if I witness a bullying incident? How do you investigate bullying incidents? How should we conduct interviews of the students involved in the incident? What are appropriate consequences of engaging in bullying behavior? How can we raise awareness on bullying prevention in our school? What are ineffective ways to prevent bullying? How do we prevent bullying in our school? How do I prevent bullying on the school bus? What can communities do about school bullying? Where can I get more information? Return to Top of Page
﻿What is bullying?

There is not a specific, widely-adopted definition of bullying. Although definitions of bullying vary, most agree that bullying involves:

Imbalance of Power. People who bully use their power to control or harm and the people being bullied may have a hard time defending themselves.

Intent to Cause Harm. Actions done by accident are not bullying; the person bullying has a goal to cause harm.

Repetition. Incidents of bullying happen to the same the person over and over by the same person or group.[i]

The following definitions are defined in the Oklahoma School Security Act to help recognize bullying behavior:

"Harassment, intimidation, and bullying means any gesture, written or verbal expression, electronic communication, or physical act that a reasonable person should know will harm another student, damage another student's property, place another student in reasonable fear of harm to the student's person or damage to the student's property, or insult or demean any student or group of students in such a way as to disrupt or interfere with the school's educational mission or the education of any student."

"Threatening behavior means any pattern of behavior or isolated action, whether or not it is directed at another person, that a reasonable person would believe indicates potential for future harm to students, school personnel, or school property."

Bullying has serious and lasting effects. Research has found bullying behavior causes increased mental health problems, increased thoughts of suicide, retaliation through extremely violent measures, decreased academic achievement, higher risk of abusing alcohol and other drugs, and truancy.
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﻿What are the warning signs of bullying?

There are many warning signs that could indicate that a student is involved in bullying, either by bullying others or by being bullied. However, these warning signs may indicate other issues or problems, as well. Below is a list of common signs:
Being Bullied: Bullying Others: Click here for a reproducible resource on warning signs. Return to Top of Page
﻿What can I do if I am being bullied?

Bullying is wrong and it is not your fault. Everyone deserves to feel safe at school. Follow these steps if you are in a bullying situation:

Speak up against bullying. Be firm and clear when you speak. Say something like "stop it".

Walk away. Act like you do not care, even if you really do.

Tell an adult you trust. Report it to your parent, teacher, counselor, or School Resource Officer.

Stick together. The buddy system works. Staying with a group or friend will allow someone else to help you speak up or run to get help.

Click here for a survey students can give to a trusted adult. Return to Top of Page
﻿How can I avoid being bullied?

Bullying can be scary. Know that you are not alone. Follow these steps to help you avoid being in a bullying situation:

Do not give bullies a chance. Take a different route to class or home from school.

Avoid unsupervised areas of the school.

Sit at the front of the bus.

Find a buddy and stick together.

Stand tall and be brave.

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﻿What do I do if my child is bullied?

When your child is being bullied, it is hard to concentrate on anything else. All you want to do is make it stop. Follow the steps below to be the best possible advocate for your child in a bullying situation:

Stay calm. If you get upset, your child may think you are upset with him instead of at the situation. A knee-jerk reaction to something your child has shared with you may close off the open line of communication.

Empathize with your child. It's not their fault. No one deserves to be bullied. Tell them you are glad they had the courage to tell you.

Ask open-ended questions. This will get your child to open up more about bullying and the severity of the problem. Continue to ask open-ended questions in the future to know if it is a reoccurring issue.

Encourage your child to make new friends. Help them make new friends. Help get them involved in activities to make new friends.

Share your own experiences. Sharing your own experiences with a bully will help them understand that they are not alone.

Brainstorm ways to solve the problem nonviolently. Encouraging retaliation may get your child hurt or suspended.

Contact school officials to report any incidences. Document everything and stick to the facts. Nothing good can come from a heated argument. In fact, it may damage all open lines of communication with the district. Overreacting may have the opposite effect you intended to have and the school may not take your future complaints seriously.

Help be a part of the solution. Get involved in your child's school. Volunteer to watch "hot spots" at school, shadow in the classroom, join the PTA, rally together for an Anti-Bullying event, and sit in on the Safe School Committee.

Commit to making bullying stop. Work with your child and the school to provide a safe learning environment.

Build resiliency in your child! This may not be the only time they come in contact with a bully. We need to do everything we can to help improve coping skills so that they can better handle these hardships in the future.

Teach your child how to report bullying incidents to adults in an effective way. Adults are less likely to discount a child's report as "tattling" if the report includes what is being done to him that makes him fearful or uncomfortable, who is doing it, what he has done to try to resolve the problem or to get the bully to quit, if there were any witness to the incident, and a clear explanation of what he needs or wants from the adult to stop the bullying.
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﻿How do I report bullying incidents to my child's school?

Bullying incidents should be reported through the school's chain of command or to the policy indicated personnel, if applicable. In most cases, incidents are appropriately addressed with the classroom teacher. If you feel that the classroom teacher is not properly handling the situation, it is recommended that you notify the school principal in writing of the incident and carbon copy (cc) the district superintendent. A letter should state the facts of the incident (free of opinions or emotional statements), your desire for the incident to be resolved, and request a follow-up letter regarding the schools action in the incident. Provide any documentation you may have of the incident, including witnesses, doctor's notes, police reports, cyberbullying online printouts, and other information appropriate to the incident. A letter can serve multiple purposes. It will alert school administration of the bullying, your desire for interventions against bullying, can serve as a written record when referring to incident, and provide documentation if you need to escalate the incident up the school's chain of command.

If the school principal has not resolved the situation, the next step would be to notify the school district's superintendent. Follow the same recommendations as notifying the school principal. If you would rather have a meeting to discuss the incident, request the meeting in writing and send a follow-up letter summarizing the discussion after the meeting. This will serve as a written record and provide documentation if you need to escalate the incident.

The final step in the school's chain of command would be the locally elected school board members. You must submit your written request to the school board president or policy indicated personnel to be placed on the school board meeting agenda. School board meetings are subject to the Open Meetings Act.
Click here for a sample letter. Click here for a incident report form. Click here for a witness report form. Click here for the reproducible contact chart poster. A quick chart of who to contact regarding bullying behavior at school[ii]:

Is your child feeling suicidal?

Contact the suicide prevention lifeline. 800-273-TALK (8255)( www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org)

Is your child bullied because of their race, ethnicity, or disability without local help?

Contact the US Department of Education's
Office of Civil Rights. ( www2.ed.gov/ocr)

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How do you file a complaint on a school district?

Upon receipt of your complaint, the State Department of Education (SDE) staff will receive all information and documentation to determine whether there is evidence of noncompliance with state law. The SDE does not have authority to investigate complaints of bullying or harassment. This information is submitted soley for purposes of assisting the monitoring compliance with state bullying statutes. All information below must be provided with the complaint form to be evaluated by SDE staff. This complain may be shared with District officials by SDE staff during the compliance review process.

Required Documentation:
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﻿Are there laws on bullying and harassment?

There are three state laws that address and prohibit bullying, harassment, and intimidation.

State Laws:

The School Bullying Prevention Act, became effective November 1, 2002, requires the school board of each district to adopt a policy for the control and discipline of all children attending public school in that district by specifically prohibiting harassment, intimidation, and bullying by students at school and to address prevention of and education about such behavior. In developing this policy, the local Boards of Education shall make an effort to involve the teachers, parents, and students affected. Students, parents, and teachers shall be notified by the district's Board of Education of its adoption of the policy.

The law further states that each public school site shall establish a Safe School Committee. The Committee is to be composed of at least six members, consisting of an equal number of teachers, parents of the children affected, and students. Safe school committees shall study and make recommendations regarding: Student harassment, intimidation, and bullying at school, professional development needs of faculty and staff to implement methods to decrease this behavior, methods to encourage involvement of community and students, and the development of individual relationships between students and staff and the use of problem-solving teams. The Safe School Committee shall review traditional prevention programs utilized by other states, state agencies, or school districts.

The Oklahoma School Security Act, became effective November 1, 2008, amended the School Bullying Prevention Act. This Act required all districts to add "electronic communication" and "threatening behavior" to their bullying prevention policy. In addition to their policy, districts are to establish a procedure for the investigation of all reported incidents for the purpose of determining the severity of the incidents and their potential to result in future violence. Districts are also required to establish a procedure where a school may recommend that available community mental health care options are provided to the student and disclose information concerning students who have received mental health care.

The law further states that each public school site shall add an additional member to the Safe School Committee. This additional member shall be a school official who participates in the investigation of reports of harassment, intimidation, bullying, and threatening behavior. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules for monitoring school districts for compliance and provide sanctions for noncompliance with the Act.
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Can bullying be a civil rights violation?

Schools that receive federal funding are required by federal law to address discrimination on a number of different personal characteristics. The statutes the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces include:

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin;

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex;

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504); and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Title II). Section 504 and Title II prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability.

School districts may violate these civil rights statutes and the U.S. Department of Education's implementing regulations when peer harassment based on race, color, national origin, sex, or disability is sufficiently serious that it creates a hostile environment and such harassment is encouraged, tolerated, not adequately addressed, or ignored by school employees.

While current laws enforced by OCR do not protect against harassment based on religion or sexual orientation, they do include protection against harassment of members of religious groups based on shared ethnic characteristics as well as gender-based and sexual harassment of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals. [iii]

If you or your child is being bullied based on the different personal characteristics listed above without help from the district, contact the United States Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights to file a complaint.
Click here to learn more about OCR complaint process. Return to Top of Page
Whether or not the bullying is related to the student's disability, any bullying of a student with a disability that results in the student not receiving meaningful educational benefit constitutes a denial of FAPE under the IDEA that must be remedied. States and school districts have a responsibility under the IDEA, 20 U.S.C. § 1400, et seq., to ensure that FAPE in the least restrictive environment (LRE) is made available to eligible students with disabilities. In order for a student to receive FAPE, the student's individualized education program (IEP) must be reasonably calculated to provide meaningful educational benefit.

Schools have an obligation to ensure that a student with a disability who is the target of bullying behavior continues to receive FAPE in accordance with his or her IEP. The school should, as part of its appropriate response to the bullying

Convene the IEP Team to determine whether, as a result of the effects of the bullying, the student's needs have changed such that the IEP is no longer designed to provide meaningful educational benefit.

If the IEP is no longer designed to provide a meaningful educational benefit to the student, the IEP Team must then determine to what extent additional or different special education or related services are needed to address the student's individual needs; and revise the IEP accordingly.

Additionally, parents have the right to request an IEP Team meeting at any time, and public agencies generally must grant a parental request for an IEP Team meeting where a student's needs may have changed as a result of bullying.

The IEP Team should exercise caution when considering a change in the placement or the location of services provided to the student with a disability who was the target of the bullying behavior and should keep the student in the original placement unless the student can no longer receive FAPE in the current LRE placement. While it may be appropriate to consider whether to change the placement of the child who was the target of the bullying behavior, IEP teams should be aware that certain changes to the education program of a student with a disability (e.g., placement in a more restrictive "protected" setting to avoid bullying behavior) may constitute a denial of the IDEA's requirement that the school provide FAPE in the LRE.

Schools may not attempt to resolve the bullying situation by unilaterally changing the frequency, duration, intensity, placement, or location of the student's special education and related services. These decisions must be made by the IEP Team and consistent with the IDEA provisions that address parental participation.

If the student who engaged in the bullying behavior is a student with a disability, the IEP Team should review the student's IEP to determine if additional supports and services are needed to address the inappropriate behavior. In addition, the IEP Team and other school personnel should consider examining the environment in which the bullying occurred to determine if changes to the environment are warranted.
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﻿Are schools required to educate students on bullying prevention?

In addition to the State and Federal law requirements, there are specific academic standards for health/safety education. The Oklahoma C³ Standards for Health and Safety (formerly Priority Academic Student Skills) represent standards that describe what students should know concerning health and safety. The standards are categorized under the following: Health and Safety Literacy, Responsible Health and Safety Behavior, and Health and Safety Advocacy. Addressing bullying prevention in your school will help you meet the following standards:
Health/Safety Education Grades 1-4
Standard 4:

5. Identify and define bullying behaviors.

6. Practice skills to diffuse and avoid a "bully."

7. Understand how to report bullying behaviors.

Standard 5:

9. Identify forms of harassing behaviors.

10. Recognize the difference between teasing and bullying behaviors.

Health/Safety Education Grades 5-8
Standard 1:

5. Identify and demonstrate violence prevention skills.

Standard 3:

4. Identify ways to resolve problems and prevent violence.
Health/Safety Education Grades 9-12
Standard 6:

5. Examine bullying prevention strategies and the effects of bystander influence on violent behavior situations.
Click here for all of the Oklahoma C³ Standards for Health and Safety Education. Return to Top of Page
﻿What is in an effective bullying prevention policy?

Do not pass a policy to meet the law, pass an effective policy to eliminate bullying. The purpose of a policy is to prohibit harassment, intimidation, bullying, and threatening behavior, provide options for the methods of control and discipline of the students, and shall define standards of conduct to which students are expected to conform. Effective policies prohibiting harassment, intimidation, and bullying should include:

A statement of purpose, which includes the scope of the policy and prohibited behavior;

Definitions clarifying prohibited behavior;

A means to report incidents, including a process to submit information anonymously;

The requirement that school personnel report, in a timely and responsive manner, incidents of bullying they witness or are aware of to a designated official;

A process of notification to local law enforcement, if necessary, and parents as provided by state and federal law;

A plan for notifying students, parents, and staff of policies related to bullying;

A tiered discipline system of the consequences of engaging in bullying behavior;

A procedure for maintaining records of all incidents and how the incident was resolved;

A plan for training and educating all school personnel; and

A provision for the district board of education to review local policies on a regular basis to ensure the goals of the state statute and policy are met.

Click here for a USDE review of laws and policies. Return to Top of Page
﻿What can I do if I witness a bullying incident?

If you witness a bullying incident, follow the steps below to appropriate intervene and address the incident:

*To avoid escalating the tension, you may wait until later to sort out the facts.
Click here for a witness report form. Return to Top of Page
﻿How should we investigate bullying incidents?

The purpose of investigating reported incidents is to determine the behavior, the severity of the incident, and their potential to result in future violence. Please review the following definitions that are defined in the Oklahoma School Security Act to help recognize bullying behavior:

"Harassment, intimidation, and bullying means any gesture, written, or verbal expression, electronic communication, or physical act that a reasonable person should know will harm another student, damage another student's property, place another student in reasonable fear of harm to the student's person or damage to the student's property, or insult or demean any student or group of students in such a way as to disrupt or interfere with the school's educational mission or the education of any student."

"Threatening behavior means any pattern of behavior or isolated action, whether or not it is directed at another person, that a reasonable person would believe indicates the potential for future harm to students, school personnel, or school property."

Using existing investigation procedures and roles may help keep the requirements of compliance manageable. It is recommended that the district use a single investigation form and have an investigation team to help with consistency of all incident investigation. In many cases involving bullying and harassment, parents have reported to the State Department of Education that they have tried to call attention to incidents many times without action taken by the district. Reports that are met with inaction will create the sense that the school is not serious about dealing with bullying and harassment, regardless of whether school staff considers that to be the case. Once a school has received notice of harassment, intimidation, bullying, or threatening behavior, it should begin an investigation as soon as possible to determine what occurred, the severity of the incident, and their potential to result in future violence.
Click here for a sample investigation form. Return to Top of Page
﻿How should we conduct interviews of the students involved in the incident?

All parties involved should be interviewed and written statements should be taken. These statements should be obtained separately and all possible steps should be taken to prevent retaliation. All interviews, regardless of whether they are with victim, offender, or witnesses, should follow local board adopted policy. The bullying prevention policy should be reviewed with all parties involved, as well as the investigation procedure. The investigator should be neutral of the incident. If the investigator is involved in the incident, a replacement investigator should conduct the investigation.

Parents should be notified as allowed by state and federal law. Parents are more likely to feel the school is addressing the situation if they are involved in the investigation process. It is recommended that the parents of the students involved be notified of the incident, the investigation procedures and interview. After the notification, it is also recommended that a follow-up letter is sent to the parent with the bullying prevention policy to provide additional documentation of the incident investigation to comply with state and federal laws.
Click here for sample interview statement form. Return to Top of Page
﻿What are appropriate consequences of engaging in bullying behavior?

A wide range of options are available for consequences of bullying behavior. In general, consequences should be scaled in relation to the severity of the incident. More severe consequences such as suspension or referral to law enforcement should be considered as the student's misconduct becomes severe, outrageous, or repeated. Some of these options are presented below, rank ordered by severity.

Review of bullying prevention policy

Student contract

Follow up/Monitoring

Meeting with parents

Meeting with principal

Counseling interventions

In-school assignments (research paper on the effects of harassment from the view of the victim, formal written apology to victim, presentation to lower grade-level students)

Creative ideas (anti-bullying posters, anti-bullying public service announcements)

Intervention programs

School service work

Loss of privileges (extracurricular activities, open lunch, prom activities, field trips)

Loss of privileges on bus/loss of bus privileges

In school suspension

Suspension

Assignment to alternative education facility

Refer to local law enforcement

*Cyberbullying discipline could be to submit a report the "old-fashioned way" by writing it instead of using a computer. They will learn what it is like to not be able to use technology, which should promote a greater respect for those tools.
Sample student behavior contract Return to Top of Page
﻿How can we raise awareness on bullying prevention in our school?

One-time shots are insufficient for changing a climate of bullying or producing sustainable effects. It is suggested that a multi-tiered approach is an effective way to prevent bullying. Attention is focused on creating and sustaining primary (school-wide), secondary (classroom), and tertiary (individual) systems of support that improve lifestyle results for all children and youth by making targeted behaviors less effective, efficient, and relevant, and desired behavior more functional.[v] The primary tier is the universal system of support geared towards all students in the school, the secondary tier is the selected interventions to support at risk students, and the tertiary tier is the indicated interventions for students already involved in bullying. Below is a list of universal approaches:

Social media campaigns

School pledges

Banner pledges

Anti-bullying week (State week is 1st week in October)

Assembly

Student presented/student developed presentations

Student Surveys

Prevention incorporated into curriculum

PSA assignments

Anti-bullying art contest

Community campaigns

Poster contests

Morning announcements

Anonymous reporting box/random acts of kindness box

"Mix-it-up" lunch or class seating

Click here for an example of community campaigns. Click here for CDC developed student surveys. Return to Top of Page
﻿What are ineffective ways to prevent bullying?

In recent years, increasing numbers of educators, health professionals, parents, and other adults who interact with students have come to understand the seriousness of bullying. Many proven and promising prevention and intervention strategies have been developed. Unfortunately, some misdirected intervention and prevention strategies also have emerged. Research has shown that the following are strategies that do not work or have unexpected negative consequences.

Zero tolerance or "three strikes and you are out" policies: While this may be effective in small cases, studies show that it is ineffective as a broad-based policy. With threats of severe punishment it may discourage students from reporting incidents and bullying can often be a early indicator of other behavior problems. Children who bully are often in need of positive role models that they may only encounter at school.

Conflict resolution and peer mediation: Bullying is not a conflict between two people of equal power with equal blame for the situation. Also, facing those who have bullied them may further upset students who have been bullied.

Group treatment for students who bully: Group members tend to reinforce bullying behavior in each other.

Simple, short-term solutions: Focusing on bullying in a piecemeal way (e.g., in-service training, school assembly, lessons taught by individual teachers) will do much less to prevent bullying than a school-wide initiative.[vi]

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﻿How do we prevent bullying in our school?

Assess bullying in your school to determine where and when bullying occurs.

Name an incident coordinator and review your bullying prevention policy annually.

Determine where to increase supervision and work with all staff such as bus drivers, cafeteria staff, and playground monitors to watch for incidents both inside and outside of the classroom.

Work with the Safe School Committee on recommendations for the site principal. The law states the committee must be composed of at least 7 members, however the more members in attendance will help the school provide a united effort in bullying prevention.

Integrate bullying prevention into curriculum and school activities.

Encourage and create a plan of action to educate and raise school-wide awareness.

Involve parents and community members. Bullying is not just a school issue it is a community issue.

Click here for a staff bullying survey. Click here for CDC developed student surveys. Return to Top of Page
﻿How do I prevent bullying on the school bus?

The same strategies for preventing bullying at school can apply to preventing bullying on the school bus. There are other strategies to address and prevent bullying behaviors specifically on the bus.

Get to know the kids on the bus. Take time to greet them every day and learn their names. Do not play favorites.

Role model respect and good manners. Do not express anger at other motorists.

Establish an environment of respect. Model the schools policy on bullying prevention. Post anti-bullying signage.

Make bullying reports available on the bus.

Establish assigned seating. Place problematic students in the front of the bus.

Establish bus leaders of older students to help identify bullying behaviors.

Communicate with other staff to recognize common problematic students.

Attend bullying prevention training. All staff should be aware of how to recognize and prevent bullying incidents.

Reinforce positive behaviors on the bus. Establish a "bus of the month" or similar program. Certificates to students, congratulatory letters to students' parents, school announcements, and coupons for free ice cream at the school cafeteria or items at local business are some examples of positive recognition efforts.[vii]

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﻿What can communities do about school bullying?

Bullying does not begin and end at the school doors. Bullying is not a school problem, it is a community problem. Community members play a large role in effectively preventing school bullying by providing a united front to prohibit bullying. All community members play a vital part and can share their expertise, resources, and skills. Community members can contribute support to combat bullying by taking the following actions:

Report incidents to school staff if any bullying or harassment has occurred in or around school grounds or at school activities.

Participate in bullying prevention or Safe School Committees.

Volunteer to mentor bullies and targets of bullying.

Provide support for parents whose children are experiencing bullying problems.

Demonstrate to all students the concern and support of the community by supporting positive school projects, sports, events, and field trips.

Model good character and responsible citizenship.

Consider adapting the school rules against bullying and the protocols to apply to businesses, recreation agencies, and churches in the community.

Stay informed and aware of school bullying policies and state laws regarding bullying and harassment.

Partner with schools and organizations to encourage positive behavior, valuing differences, and promoting sensitivity to others.

Pledge to prevent bullying

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﻿Where can I get more information?

For additional questions you may contact:

Kristin Atchley
Executive Director of Counseling
Oklahoma State Department of Education
2500 North Lincoln Boulevard
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105
Email: Kristin.Atchley@sde.ok.gov
Phone: 405-521-3549
Fax: 405-522-0496

Adapted from United States Government Bullying Prevention Web Site. How do I get help? stopbullying.gov

[iii] United States Government Bullying Prevention Web Site. When Bullying May be a Civil Rights Violation. stopbullying.gov
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Bullying has a negative effect on the social environment of schools, creates a climate of fear among students, inhibits the ability to learn, and leads to other antisocial behavior. Other detrimental effects of bullying include impact on school safety, student engagement, and the overall school environment.

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