SAFE SCHOOL POLICY:
BULLYING PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION PLAN
SUMMARY FOR PARENTS & STUDENTS
It is our mission at the Chamberlain International School to “provide comprehensive and diverse therapeutic programming in an environment which inspires academic success and personal growth. We motivate and support our students throughout their school experience and teach them to recognize, nurture, and celebrate their individual strengths as they prepare for life”.
Our student population is unique, whereas many of our students have been in the role of the target and/or the aggressor at some time during their past history. There are many tools built into the program to encourage positive communication, specifically our Therapeutic Management Program. This incorporates a point system to encourage positive interactions throughout the day. The goal is to encourage respect and support diversity by coordinating special program events/activities into all aspects of student life to promote a positive climate. In addition, each school year the clinical team will be conducting a 4-week educational program to all students which will focus on anti-bullying education and encourage a positive community.
The school is committed to providing our students equal educational opportunities in a safe learning environment free from harassment, bullying (including cyber-bullying), discrimination, and hate crimes. The school prohibits these behaviors on school grounds, on school-sponsored trips, or school related activities. This behavior is also prohibited when it takes place off school grounds but it disrupts the school environment, disrupts the education process or orderly operation of the school.
Faculty will receive training on this topic as well as annually review the Safe Schools Policy. Faculty are required to verbally report any rumors of bullying behavior and any witnessed bullying behavior or retaliation must be documented in an incident report.
The Program Director/Administration will investigate all reports/complaints which meet the definition of bullying and violators will be subject to appropriate disciplinary and/or corrective action to end the behavior, prevent its reoccurrence, and protect the individual from bullying or retaliation in the future.
Students or parents may report incidents of bullying or retaliation in several different ways:
· Verbal – a parent or student may verbally report this to a faculty member
· Written – a letter or email can be forwarded to a faculty member
· Anonymous reports may be made by a student, parent or other individual who are not school faculty, however no disciplinary action shall be taken against a student solely on the basis of an anonymous report
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Chamberlain International School will implement disciplinary actions against a student or staff member who commits acts of bullying or intimidation. These actions will be consistent with the philosophy of the school and our Therapeutic Behavior Management Program and place an equal amount of emphasis on teaching appropriate skills as it does on accountability.
Students found to be committing acts of bullying may receive the following:
· Fail to earn points for “getting along with peers, following program rules and following directions” during the time period of the act in accordance with our Therapeutic Management Program.
· A Repair Plan shall be given to the aggressor immediately following an incident.
· A Bully Prevention writing assignment shall be incorporated into the repair plan.
· Be expected to follow any of the guidelines established in the target’s individual support plan. This may include, but is not limited to, assigned seating or schedule modifications.
· Repeated acts of bullying shall require the treatment team to meet to identify specific alternative strategies to use with the student. This may include interventions requiring implementation at home with parents or reduction of home visitation.
· The development of a proactive plan if deemed necessary.
· If all interventions do not curb the repeated bullying behavior a TEAM meeting shall be convened to determine other options for intervention, changes to the IEP and/or alternative placements which may be better able to address the behavior.
· Police consultation, when appropriate will be initiated by the Program Director to determine if an incident is serious enough to warrant police involvement.
In order to support the target of bullying, a plan will be developed to restore a sense of safety to the alleged target. This plan may include the following elements:
· Upon witnessing bullying a faculty member will immediately redirect the aggressor and allow the target to move on with class/schedule.
· If warranted further disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with the plan above.
· The clinician will be notified of the actions of the aggressor, as well as the treatment team will also be informed via end of the shift behavioral log.
· The target will be supported by faculty in a private manner
· The target will be empowered to develop an individual support plan. This plan may include predetermined seating arraignments for both the target and the aggressor during class or mealtimes, identification of a “safe person” or altering the aggressor’s schedule to minimize exposure.
· The team members will develop and implement an immediate safety response to ensure no further bullying or retaliation incidents are likely.
· The target’s clinician is informed and will provide counseling services as deemed appropriate.
· The clinician will work with target in teaching them appropriate coping strategies as well as empowering the target.
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The Parents of both the aggressor and the target will be notified of any behavior that meets the definition of bullying. Although due to confidentiality we are unable to share with the target’s parents what disciplinary action has been taken. We can however, inform parents of the steps taken to protect, provide support and empower the target.
The Program Director is responsible for the oversight of this plan at the school. If an incident of bullying or retaliation involves students from more than one school, the school first informed of the bullying or retaliation shall promptly notify the appropriate administrator of the other school district so that both may take appropriate action. If an incident of bullying or retaliation occurs on school grounds and involves a former student under the age of 21 who is no longer enrolled in the school, the school shall contact local law enforcement
Definitions:
Bullying is defined as the repeated use by one or more students or staff member of a written, verbal or electronic expression or a physical act or gesture or any combination thereof, where there is an imbalance of power, and it is directed at a person so that it causes one or more of the following: a.) causes physical or emotional harm to this person or damage to this persons property; b.) places this person in reasonable fear of harm to himself or of damage to his property; c.) creates a hostile environment at school for this person; d.) infringes on the rights of this person at school; or e.) materially and substantially disrupts the education process of a school.
Cyber-bullying is bullying through the use of technology or any electronic communications which makes a real threat or substantial disruption to the school climate.
Revised 12/29/13
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