NEW JERSEY’S ANTI-BULLYING BILL OF RIGHTS

ACTN.J.S.A. 18A:37-14

Hillside Back to School Night Presentations September 20, 2012

9/20/2012

NEW JERSEY ANTI-BULLYING BILL OF RIGHTS ACT

Effective September 1, 2011, N.J.S.A. 18A:37-14, went into effect.

Aim of legislation is to end bullying on & off school grounds

Major amendments to law originally passed in 2002:◦New definition of harassment, intimidation, &

bullying◦New district roles and responsibilities◦Districts must update their policies and procedures◦Mandatory training for all District employees,

volunteers, and related service providers

9/20/2012

HISTORY OF BULLYING PREVENTION PROGRAMS IN ALLENDALE

October 2005 – Student presentations by author Rachel Simmons (Odd Girl Out) on bullying.

October 2006 - Staff presentation on bullying (The Bullies, The Victims, & The Bystanders) by members of the CST and Dr. Caprio

January 2007 – Anti Bullying presentation to PTO by Administrators & CST

October 2005-2011 Yearly classroom anti-bullying presentations by social workers/guidance counselors

February 2011 – Student and parent presentation by Mark DeBenedictis (Bergen Cty. Special Services) on cyber bullying

February 2012 – Student and Parent presentation by Det. Tom Rich on cyber bullying

Anti-Bullying Committee (2005-present) – Bi-monthly committee composed of administrators, teachers, social workers/guidance counselors, and parents to discuss ways of combating anti-bullying behavior and raise awareness of anti-bullying programs/services for students and parents.

9/20/2012

REVISED DEFINITION OF HIB

“Harassment, intimidation, or bullying” means any gesture, any written, verbal or physical act, or any electronic communication, as defined in N.J.S.A. 18A:37-14, whether it be a single incident or a series of incidents that:

1. Is reasonably perceived as being motivated by either any actual or perceived characteristic, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or a mental, physical or sensory disability; or

2. By any other distinguishing characteristic; and that

3. Takes place on school property, at any school-sponsored function, on a school bus, or off school grounds, as provided for in N.J.S.A. 18A:37-15.3, that substantially disrupts or interferes with the orderly operation of the school or the rights of other pupils; and that

9/20/2012

REVISED DEFINITION OF HIB

4. A reasonable person should know, under the circumstances, that the act(s) will have the effect of physically or emotionally harming a pupil or damaging the pupil’s property, or placing a pupil in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm to his/her person or damage to his/her property; or

5. Has the effect of insulting or demeaning any pupil or group of pupils; or

6. Creates a hostile educational environment for the pupil by interfering with a pupil’s education or by severely or pervasively causing physical or emotional harm to the pupil.

9/20/2012

ROLES OF STAFF IN HIB

Anti-Bullying Coordinator District Position

Anti-Bullying Specialists School-Based Positions

Coordinate and strengthen district HIB policy to prevent identify, and address HIB

Collaborates with anti-bullying specialist, Board of Education and Superintendent

Provides Data to NJDOE

Chairs School Safety Team

Leads investigation of reported HIB incidents

Acts as primary school official responsible for prevention, identification, and addressing HIB

Assists Principal in defining range of responses

Provides input to local board on annual re-evaluation, reassessment, and review of policy

9/20/2012

OUR DISTRICT HIB STAFF

District Anti-Bullying Coordinator School Anti-Bullying

Specialists

Jo Ann Karamus –Ext. 1206Supervisor of Curriculum & Instruction

Hillside School:• Maria Ade –Ext. 2307

Brookside School:• Kristina Vassallo-Ext.1201

9/20/2012

ROLE OF STAFF IN HIB

School Safety Team: Aimed to develop, foster, maintain a positive school climate

Members include Principal, teacher, Anti-bullying Specialist, parent, and others to be determined by Principal

Receive reports of HIB complaints reported to Principal

Receive copies of HIB investigation reports

Identify and address patterns of HIB in school

Review and strengthen school climate and policies to prevent acts of HIB

Educate community to prevent and address HIB

Collaborate with Anti-Bullying Coordinator in data collection and review of policies to prevent acts of HIB

9/20/2012

REPORTING PROCEDURES FOR INCIDENTS OF HIB

All acts of HIB must be reported verbally to the principal on the same day when the school employee or contracted service provider witnessed or received reliable information regarding any such incident

Principal must inform parents of all students involved in the alleged incident

May discuss the availability of counseling and other intervention services

All acts of HIB also must be reported in writing to the principal within two school days of when the school employee or contracted service provider witnessed or received reliable information

9/20/2012

INVESTIGATION PROCEDURES

Initiated by the principal or designee within one school day of the verbal report

Conducted by the anti-bullying specialist in consultation with the principal

Principal may appoint additional personnel to assist with investigation

Investigation shall be completed as soon as possible, but not later than 10 days from date of written report

If additional, anticipated information relevant to the investigation is not received within 10 days, anti-bullying specialist may amend original report to reflect the information

9/20/2012

INVESTIGATION PROCEDURES

Results shall be reported to the superintendent within two days of completing the investigation

Superintendent may decide to: ◦ Uphold the findings of the investigation◦ Take additional action. Actions may include:

Provide intervention services Establish training programs to reduce HIB and enhance

school climate Impose discipline Order counseling Take or recommend other appropriate action

Results reported to the Board of Education no later than the date of the next board meeting following the completion of the investigation, along with information on action taken or recommended by superintendent

9/20/2012

RESULTS OF INVENTIGATION

In considering whether a response beyond the individual is appropriate the administration shall consider the following:

◦ The nature and circumstances of the act, ◦ the degree of harm, nature and severity of behavior◦ past incidences or patterns of behavior, and context in which the alleged

incidents occurred.

Possible remedial actions and consequences include, but are not limited to the following:

Remedial Actions – Restitution, peer group support, Behavior Management Plan, parent conferences, student treatment/therapy Consequences - Detention, in-school or out-of school suspension, in severe cases, can include police or legal action or expulsion

9/20/2012

TRAINING PROGRAMS

Districts are responsible for training the following groups:• Administrators • Staff (All full, part-time employees and volunteers)• All new employees• BOE members• Students• Contracted service providers

On September 1, 2011, all Allendale staff completed two hours of HIB training as mandated by the new legislation.

Substitute teachers were trained in October 2011.

New staff for 2012-2013 were trained on August 28, 2012.

9/20/2012

THE PARENTS’ ROLE IN PREVENTING BULLYING…

Possible signs/symptoms of a bullied child

Warning signs that a child may be bullying at school

• Is your child afraid to go to school?

• Does he/she come home from school with clothing or items damaged?

• Is your child appear sad or depressed about going to school?

• Does he/she come home from school with physical injuries, such as bruises, cuts, or scratches?

• Do your child seem socially isolated with few, if any, friends?

Does the child have a strong need to dominate and subdue others?

Is the child intimidating his/her siblings or children in the neighborhood?

Is the child hot tempered, easily angered, or impulsive with a low frustration level?

Is the child self-defiant or aggressive toward adults including teachers or their own parents?

Is the child hanging out with “the wrong crowd?”

9/20/2012

THE PARENTS’ ROLE IN PREVENTING BULLYING…

Here are some ways parents can discuss the issue of bullying with their child:

◦ Take time each day to have a conversation with your child about their day-to-day activities. Remember, if a child is comfortable able talking about school, friends, and activities, they will feel comfortable talking about becoming a target of bullying.

o Parents should lead by example with signs and expressions of kindness. Remember that children learn from watching and observing their parents.

o Parents should encourage their child to stand-up to help those who are being bullied. Bystanders can be very effective in stopping bullying behavior.

o Parents should learn the signs and symptoms of bullying and of a bully. Knowing this information help parents distinguish between normal conflict and bullying.

9/20/2012

NEXT STEPS…

As we move forward, the District will continue to provide information and training opportunities for staff, students, and parents.

Additional information will be on the homepage and individual school pages of our website:

www.allendaleschoolsnj.com

If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at:jkaramus@allendaleschoolsnj.com

Thank you for your interest and for attending tonight's’ presentation!