POLICY 5550
Bullying Behavior in the Schools
The West Hartford Board of Education promotes a safe and secure school climate conductive to teaching and learning. In accordance with state law, it is the policy of the West Hartford Board of Education that any form of bullying behavior, whether in the classroom, on school property or at school-sponsored events, is prohibited. Such behavior is disruptive of the educational process and, therefore, not acceptable behavior in this district.
To implement this policy, the Board of Education directs the Superintendent to develop and adopt regulations no later than February 1, 2003, to address the existence of bullying in the schools. As provided by statute, such regulations shall: (1) enable students to anonymously report acts of bullying to teachers and school administrators and require that students be notified annually of the process by which they may make such anonymous reports, (2) enable the parents or guardians of students to file written reports of suspected bullying, (3) require teachers and other school staff who witness acts of bullying or receive student reports of bullying to notify school administrators, (4) require school administrators to investigate any written reports filed pursuant to subdivision (2) above, and to review any anonymous reports, (5) include an intervention strategy for school staff to deal with bullying, (6) provide for the inclusion of language in student codes of conduct concerning bullying, (7) require school administrators to notify both the parents or guardians of students who commit any verified acts of bullying and the parents or guardians of students against whom such acts were directed, (8) require each school within the district to maintain a list of the number of verified acts of bullying in such school and make such list available for public inspection, and (9) direct the development of case-by-case interventions for addressing repeated incidents of bullying against a single individual or recurrently perpetrated bullying incidents by the same individual that may include both counseling and discipline.
The notification required pursuant to subdivision (7) shall include a description of the response of school staff to such acts and any consequences that may result from the commission of further acts of bullying. Any information provided under this policy shall be provided in accordance with the confidentiality restrictions imposed under the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act ("FERPA") and the district's Confidentiality and Access to Student Information policy and regulations.
For purposes of this policy, “Bullying” shall mean any overt acts by a student or group of students directed against another student with the intent to ridicule, harass, humiliate, or intimidate the other student while on school grounds, on a school bus, or at a school-sponsored activity, which acts are repeated against the same student over time.
For purposes of this policy, “School-Sponsored Activity” shall mean any activity conducted on or off school property (including school buses and other school-related vehicles) that is sponsored, recognized or authorized by the Board of Education.
Students who engage in bullying behavior shall be subject to school discipline up to and including expulsion in accordance with the Board's policy on student discipline.
Legal References: Connecticut General Statutes:
10-222d
10-233a through 10-233f
Public Act No. 06-115
Adopted: February 4, 2003
Revised: November 21, 2006
Bullying Behavior in the Schools
The following sets forth the procedures to implement the Board Policy concerning the prohibition against bullying. Bullying behavior is strictly prohibited, and students who are determined to have engaged in such behavior are subject to disciplinary action, which may include suspension or expulsion from school, in accordance with the Board’s Student Discipline policy. The district’s commitment to addressing bullying behavior, however, involves a multi-faceted approach, which includes education and the promotion of a school atmosphere in which bullying will not be tolerated by students or staff.
It is imperative that bullying be identified only when the specific elements of the definition are met, because the designation of conduct as bullying carries with it special statutory obligations. Any misconduct by one student against another student, whether or not appropriately defined as bullying, however, will subject the perpetrator to disciplinary action in accordance with the Board's policies on student discipline, suspension and expulsion.
I. Definition
In accordance with Board policy, “bullying” means any overt acts by a student or a group of students directed against another student with the intent to ridicule, harass, humiliate or intimidate the other student while on school grounds, at school-sponsored activity, or on a school bus, which acts are repeated against the same student over time.
In accordance with this definition, the following factors should be considered before identifying conduct by a student or group of students as bullying in violation of Board policy. The determination that conduct does not constitute bullying under state law and Board policy, however, does not restrict the right of the Administration and of the Board of Education to impose appropriate disciplinary consequences for student misconduct.
Location. Bullying behavior in violation of Board policy must occur on school grounds, at a school-sponsored activity, or on a school bus. Conduct that occurs off-campus (e.g. harassment over the Internet, physical intimidation in the community) is not bullying under the Board’s Policy and this Regulation.
While not considered bullying under Board policy, conduct that would otherwise be considered bullying occurring off-campus (and outside of any school-sponsored activity) may subject the perpetrator to disciplinary action. Discipline for such conduct may be imposed if such conduct violates a publicized policy of the Board and is seriously disruptive of the educational process. Unless such conduct triggers a mandatory expulsion under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-233d(a), however, school officials are authorized to impose discipline for such off-campus conduct only if such conduct markedly interrupts or severely impedes the day-to-day operation of the school.
- Repeated misconduct. Bullying behavior in violation of Board policy must be “repeated against the same student over time.” An isolated incident, however egregious, is not “bullying” under state law and Board policy. Similarly, numerous acts of misconduct against different students do not constitute “bullying” under state law and Board policy. Conversely, where there are repeated incidents of bullying against a single individual or recurrently perpetrated bullying incidents by the same individual, the responsible administrator shall develop a case-specific intervention to address such repeated incidents of bullying, which may include both counseling and discipline. As a general guideline, “over time” is defined as three or more incidents in a 12-month period at the elementary level and two or more incidents in a 12-month period at the secondary level.
- Ridicule, harassment, humiliation, and/or intimidation. Bullying behavior is more than misconduct. Such behavior is marked by the intent to ridicule, harass, humiliate or intimidate the victim. In evaluating whether conduct constitutes bullying, special attention should be paid to the words chosen or actions taken, whether such conduct occurred in front of others or was communicated to others, how the perpetrator interacted with the victim, and the motivation, either admitted or appropriately inferred, of the perpetrator.
1. Physical violence and/or attacks;
2. Verbal taunts, name-calling and put-downs, including taunts based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or other protected and/or individual characteristics;
3. Threats and intimidation (through words and/or gestures);
4. Extortion or stealing of money and/or possessions.
5. Purposeful exclusion, shunning, snubbing
II. Complaint processes
A. Publication of the prohibition against bullying and related procedures
The prohibition against bullying shall be publicized by including the following statement in the student handbook of each of the district schools:
“Bullying behavior by any student in the West Hartford Public Schools is strictly prohibited, and such conduct may result in disciplinary action, including suspension and/or expulsion from school. ‘Bullying’ means any overt acts by a student or a group of students directed against another student with the intent to ridicule, harass, humiliate or intimidate the other student while on school grounds, at school-sponsored activity, or on a school bus, which acts are repeated against the same student over time. Students may file verbal or written complaints concerning suspected bullying behavior, and students shall be permitted to anonymously report acts of bullying to teachers and school administrators. In addition, parents may also file written complaints concerning suspected bullying behavior. Any report of suspected bullying behavior will be promptly* reviewed. If acts of bullying are verified, prompt disciplinary action may be taken against the perpetrator, consistent with his/her rights of due process. Board policy and regulation 5550, Bullying Behavior in the Schools, set forth this prohibition and the related procedures in detail, and are available to students and their parents/guardians upon request.”
*Throughout these regulations “promptly” means by the end of the next school day.
B. Annual notification of the complaint process
The process by which students may make formal, informal, and anonymous complaints as set forth below shall be publicized annually in the student handbook of each of the district schools.
C. Formal complaints
Students and/or their parents or guardians may file written reports of conduct that they consider to be bullying. Such written reports shall be reasonably specific as to the actions giving rise to the suspicion of bullying, including time and place of the conduct alleged, the number of such incidents, the target of such suspected bullying, and the names of any potential student or staff witnesses. Such reports may be filed with any teacher, other professional employee, or administrator, and they shall be promptly forwarded to the building principal for review and action in accordance with Section IV below.
D. Informal complaints
Students may make informal complaints of conduct that they consider to be bullying by verbal report to a teacher, administrator, or other professional employee such as a guidance counselor, school psychologist, nurse, social worker or therapist. Such informal complaints shall be reasonably specific as to the actions giving rise to the suspicion of bullying, including time and place of the conduct alleged, the number of such incidents, the target of such suspected bullying, and the names of any potential student or staff witnesses. A teacher, other professional employee, or administrator who receives an informal complaint shall promptly put the complaint in writing, including the information provided. Such written report by the teacher, other professional employee and/or administrator shall be promptly forwarded to the building principal or principal designee for review and action in accordance with Section IV below.
E. Anonymous complaints
Students who make an informal complaint as set forth above may request that their name be maintained in confidence by the teacher(s) and administrator(s) who receive the complaint. Should anonymity be requested, the principal or principal designee shall meet with the student to review the request for anonymity and the impact that maintaining anonymity of the complaint may have on the investigation of the complaint and/or possible remedial action. At such meeting, the student shall be given the choice as to whether to maintain the anonymity of the complaint. Anonymous complaints shall be reviewed and reasonable action will be taken to address the situation, to the extent such action may be taken that (1) does not disclose the source of the complaint, and (2) is consistent with the due process rights of the student(s) alleged to have committed acts of bullying.
III. Staff responsibilities and intervention strategies
A. Teachers and other school staff
Teachers and other school staff who witness acts of bullying, as defined above, shall promptly notify the building principal or principal designee of the events observed, and shall promptly file a written incident report concerning the events witnessed. Teachers and other school staff who receive student or parent reports of suspected bullying shall promptly notify the building principal or principal designee of such report(s). If the report is a formal written complaint, such complaint shall be forwarded promptly to the building principal or principal designee. If the report is an informal complaint by a student that is received by a teacher, administrator or other professional employee, he or she shall prepare a succinct written report of the informal complaint, which shall be forwarded promptly to the building principal or principal designee. If the report is an informal complaint by a student that is received by other school staff, this employee shall verbally report the matter to the principal or principal designee promptly.
In addition to addressing both informal and formal complaints, teachers and other professional employees are encouraged to address the issue of bullying in other interactions with students. Teachers and other professional employees may find opportunities to educate students about bullying and help eliminate bullying behavior through class discussions, counseling, and reinforcement of socially-appropriate behavior.
Teachers and other professional employees should intervene whenever they observe student conduct that has the purpose or effect of ridiculing, humiliating, harassing, or intimidating another student, even if such conduct does not meet the formal definition of “bullying.”
B. Administrator responsibilities
1. Investigation
The principal or principal designee shall be promptly notified of any formal or informal complaint of suspected bullying received by any building administrator, teacher or other professional employee. Under the direction of the building principal or principal designee, all such complaints shall be investigated promptly.
A written report of the investigation shall be prepared when the investigation is complete. Such report shall include findings of fact, a determination of whether acts of bullying were verified, and, when acts of bullying are verified, a recommendation for intervention, including disciplinary action. Where appropriate, written witness statements shall be attached to the report.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, when a student making an informal complaint has requested anonymity, the investigation of such complaint shall be limited as is appropriate in view of the anonymity of the complainant. Such limitation of investigation may include
restricting action to a simple review of the complaint (with or without discussing it with the alleged perpetrator), subject to receipt of further information and/or the withdrawal by the complaining student of the condition that his/her report be anonymous.
2. Remedial actions
Verified acts of bullying shall result in intervention by the building principal or principal designee who is intended to address the acts of the perpetrator and the needs of the victim and to assure that the prohibition against bullying behavior is enforced with the goal that any such bullying behavior will end as a result.
Bullying behavior can take many forms and can vary dramatically in how serious it is, and what impact it has on the victim and other students. Accordingly, there is no one prescribed response to verified acts of bullying. While conduct that rises to the level of “bullying”, as defined above, will generally warrant disciplinary action against the perpetrator of such bullying, whether and to what extent to impose disciplinary action (e.g., detention, in-school suspension, suspension or expulsion) is a matter for the professional discretion of the building principal or principal designee. The following sets forth possible interventions for building principals or principal designees to enforce the Board’s prohibition against bullying.
a. Addressing bullying behavior
(1) Non-disciplinary interventions
When complaints of bullying are identified early and/or when such complaints of bullying do not reasonably require a disciplinary response, students may be counseled as to the definition of bullying, its prohibition, and their duty to avoid any conduct that could be considered bullying.
If a complaint arises out of conflict between students or groups of students, peer mediation may be considered.
Special care, however, is warranted in referring such cases to peer mediation. A power imbalance may make the process intimidating for the victim and therefore inappropriate. In such cases, the victim should be given additional support. Alternatively, peer mediation may be deemed inappropriate to address the concern.
(2) Disciplinary interventions
When acts of bullying are verified and a disciplinary response is warranted, students are subject to the full range of disciplinary consequences. Anonymous complaints that are not otherwise verified, however, shall not be the basis for disciplinary action.
In-school suspension and suspension may be imposed only after informing the accused perpetrator of the reasons for the proposed suspension and giving him/her an opportunity to explain the situation, in accordance with the Board’s Student Discipline policy.
Expulsion may be imposed only after a hearing before the Board of Education, a committee of the Board or an impartial hearing officer designated by the Board of Education in accordance with the Board’s Student Discipline policy. This consequence shall normally be reserved for serious incidents of bullying and/or when past interventions have not been successful in eliminating bullying behavior.
b. Interventions for bullied students
The building principal or principal designee shall intervene in order to address repeated incidents of bullying against a single individual. Intervention strategies for a bullied student may include the following:
1. Counseling
2. Increased supervision and monitoring of student to observe and intervene in bullying situations
3. Encouragement of student to seek help when victimized or witnessing victimization
4. Mediation/conflict resolution with an adult
5. Peer mediation only when appropriate
c. General intervention strategies
In addition to the prompt investigation of complaints of bullying and direct intervention when acts of bullying are verified, other district actions may ameliorate potential problems with bullying in school or at school-sponsored activities. While no specific action is required, and school needs for such interventions may vary from time to time, the following list of potential intervention strategies shall serve as a resource for administrators, teachers and other professional employees in each school:
- Respectful responses to bullying concerns raised by students, parents or staff;
- Planned professional development programs addressing bully/victim problems;
- Data collection to document bully/victim problems to determine the nature and scope of the problem;
- Use of peers to help ameliorate the plight of victims and include them in group activities;
- Avoidance of sex-role stereotyping;
- Awareness and involvement on the part of staff and parents with regards to bully-victim problems;
- A curriculum that promotes communication, friendship, assertiveness skills, and character education;
- Modeling by teachers of positive, respectful, and supportive behavior toward students;
- Creating a school atmosphere of team spirit and collaboration that promotes appropriate social behavior by students in support of others;
- Employing classroom strategies that instruct students how to work together in a collaborative and supportive atmosphere.
IV. Reporting obligations
- Report to the parent or guardian of the perpetrator
If after investigation, acts of bullying by a specific student are verified, the building principal or principal designee shall notify the parent or guardian of the perpetrator in writing of that finding. If disciplinary consequences are imposed against such student, a description of such discipline shall be included in such notification.
The parent or legal guardian with whom the student does not primarily reside shall be provided with all school notices that are provided to the parent or legal guardian with whom the student primarily resides. Such notices shall be mailed to the parent or legal guardian requesting them at the same time they are provided to the parent or legal guardian with whom the child primarily resides. Such requests shall be effective for as long as the child remains in the school the child is attending at the time of the request. - Reports to the victim and his/her parent or guardian
If after investigation, acts of bullying against a specific student are verified, the building principal or principal designee shall notify the parent or guardian of the victim of such finding. In providing such notification, care must be taken to respect the statutory privacy rights of the perpetrator of such bullying. The specific disciplinary consequences imposed on the perpetrator, as reflected in the student’s educational records, shall not be disclosed to the parents or guardian of the victim, except as provided by law.
The parent or legal guardian with whom the student does not primarily reside shall be provided with all school notices that are provided to the parent or legal guardian with whom the student primarily resides. Such notices shall be mailed to the parent or legal guardian requesting them at the same time they are provided to the parent or legal guardian with whom the child primarily resides. Such requests shall be effective for as long as the child remains in the school the child is attending at the time of the request. - List of verified acts of bullying
The principal of each school shall maintain a list of the number of verified acts of bullying in the school, and this list shall be available for public inspection upon request. Given that any determination of bullying involves repeated acts over time, each report prepared in accordance with Section III(1) above that includes verified acts of bullying shall be tallied as one verified act of bullying unless the specific actions that are the subject of the report involve separate and distinct acts of bullying. The list shall be limited to the number of such verified acts of bullying in the school, and it shall not set out the particulars of each verified act, including but not limited to any personally identifiable student information, which is confidential information by law.
Reference: Connecticut General Statutes:
10-222d
10-233a through 10-233f
Public Act No. 06-115
Revised: January 2007