Bully Prevention
What is Bullying?
The 2013 Legislature amended the anti-bullying statute (KSA 72-8256) and became effective July 1, 2013. The Conway Springs USD 356 Board of Education adopted policy aligned to KSA 72-8256.
Bullying means: any intentional gesture or any intentional written, verbal, electronic or physical act or threat either by any student, staff member or parent towards a student or by any student, staff member that is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive that such gesture, act or threat creates an intimidating, threatening or abusive educational environment that a reasonable person, under the circumstances, knows or should know will have the effect of:
· Harming a student or staff member, whether physically or mentally;
· Damaging a student or staff member in reasonable fear of harm to the student or staff member;
· Placing a student or staff member in reasonable fear of dameage to the student’s or staff member’s property;
· Cyberbullying
· Any other form of intimidation or harassment prohibited by the board of education of the school district in policies concerning bullying adopted pursuant to this section or subsection of KSA 72-8205 and amendments thereto.
What is Peer Conflict?
Peer conflict is when two students with no perceived imbalance of power argue, disagree, or fight. Conflict Resolution or peer mediation may be appropriate
Bullying is……
PBased on an imbalance of power and is one-sided.
PSinister in motive-intended to harm.
PHumiliating, cruel, demeaning, comments, thinly disguised as jokes.
PLaughter directed at the target, not with the target.
PMeant to diminish the sense of self-worth of the target.
PInducing fear of further taunting or can be a prelude to physical bullying.
PContinuing especially when target becomes distressed or objects to the taunting.
Bullying is NOT…
PAllowing the teaser and teased to swap rolls with ease.
PInnocent in motive; NOT intended to hurt the other person.
PMaintaining the basic dignity of everyone involved.
PPoking fun in a lighthearted, clever and benign way.
PMeant to get both parties to laugh.
PA small part of the activities shared by kids who have something in common.
PDiscontinued when the teased becomes upset or objects to the teasing.
Adapted from Coloroso, Barbara, The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander (2004)
What your family should do.
1. Discuss the situation with your child. Listen closely to the details.
2. Contact the child’s school.
3. Work with the school administration.
4. Be supportive of your child.
5. Continue to monitor your child’s interactions with others at school, home, neighborhood, and on their use of social media.
Teach your child to be more resilient to bullying by:
· Giving your child opportunities to make new friends out of school and develop positive attributes and talents such as athletics, music and art.
· Creating plans with your child to help them know how to react when feeling uncomfortable or bullied, such as whom to go to for help.
· Having a safe environment at home gives your child a chance to communicate with you and feel safe from the bullying.
Ask yourself, does my child have difficulty with social situations or a lack of social skills? If your child is hyperactive, impulsive, or overly talkative, it is possible the bully feels annoyed and is reacting in this inappropriate manner. Seek help from a counselor to give your child help in preventing these issues in the future.
The Kansas School Safety Hotline Number is:
1-877-626-8203
The Kansas Sate Department of Education in cooperation with the Kansas Highway Patrol has established a school safety hotline. This hotline is a toll free number available 24 hours per day, 365 days per year to give students, parents, and community members the opportunity to report any impending school violence. As you are aware, students usually have knowledge of potential school violence before it occurs. This hotline would give students the opportunity to anonymously report any potential violence.
Personnel at the Salina Central Dispatch of the Kansas Highway Patrol will answer the hotline number. The dispatchers will get as much information about each situation reported as the caller wishes to relay. Upon receipt of a call, the dispatchers will notify appropriate law enforcement agencies and/or the office of the superintendent of schools depending upon the severity of the situation.