THE LAWS REGARDING
What is bullying?Bullying and harassment is the act of one child causing mental or physical harm to another child. This can include things like name calling, going out of their way to be mean to and pick on the child, and even spreading rumors about another child. Bullying can result in a denial of FAPE (Free and Appropriate Public Education) for the hostile environment that has been inflicted on the student.
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Publizing Policy
Schools should have a zero bullying tolerance and this should be very common knowledge. The school should place posters around the school and talk to their students often about what to do if they see bullying and who to talk to. Parents should be made familiar with these policies and understand the expectations for student behaviors. Everyone needs to be very familiar with the policies.
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Teachers and Staff Members should observe for an incidences
As much as everyone would like for all bullying to stop, it still happens. When staff and teachers are vigilant in recognizing bullying situations, they can help minimize the effects and prevent future occurrences. This requires staff members to take the situation seriously and listen to the students.
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Professional Development
Teachers need to be trained and know exactly what to look for, what to do, and how to report any bullying that takes place. The patterns of bullying are different between males and females. Recognizing how bullying takes different shapes can help teachers and other staff members to know when they are observing bullying.
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Respond
There needs to be an immediate response to bullying taking place. Bullying will not go away on its own. This may make it necessary to remove the bully in order to ensure the other child is safe. In many cases it is prudent to talk to the child who was bullied and the bully and may need to give them counseling. After an incident is reported, a school needs to take actions such as removal of bully and or counseling for both students. Parents should be notified.
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