CONTENTS

About This Course

Table of Contents

1. School Bullying: What It Is and Why It Hurts
2. The Role of Bullies, Victims, and Witnesses
3. Factors Contributing to Bullying and Violence
4. Screening and Assessment
5. Treatment For Children and Adolescents
6. Prevention and Intervention
7. Legal and Ethical Issues

Supplements
Case Studies
Fact Sheets
References
Resources

The ABCs of Bullying
Addressing, Blocking, and Curbing School Aggression

Module Content Objectives Bullying and the Law Federal Law -- Federal Lawsuits -- Federal Initiatives State Laws Other Organizational Responses Confidentiality and Minor Consent -- Informed Consent -- For the Teacher Summary Quiz

Federal Law

Compared with European countries, the United States has been slow to respond to school bullying. However, several laws have been passed over the last 7 years that require States to take action to curb bullying behaviors. ref

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, Title 20 (Education), contains a drug and violence prevention component under Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities (Title IV). The NCLB Act retains State formula grants already in existence and national discretionary activities for drug and violence prevention. It also: ref

• Allows a student in a persistently dangerous school, or a student who is victimized at school, to transfer to a safe school.
• Requires States to report on school safety to the public.
• Requires school districts to implement drug and violence prevention programs of demonstrated effectiveness.
• Requires Local Education Agencies (LEAs) that receive Safe and Drug-Free Schools monies to have a detailed plan for keeping schools safe. The plan must include:
  
  
  1. Appropriate and effective discipline policies
  2. Security procedures
  3. Prevention activities
  4. A student code of conduct
  5. A crisis management plan for responding to violent or traumatic incidents on school property

In addition, the NCLB Act made specific requirement changes to the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities program addressing: ref

• Mandating community service for expelled or suspended students
• Creating a school security and technology resource center
• Creating a national center for school and youth safety to:
  
  
  1. Provide emergency counseling, enhanced security assistance, and a toll-free hotline for students to report violence and/or criminal activity
  2. Provide information and outreach (best practices, clearinghouse for model school safety programs, etc.)
• Creating a Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Advisory Committee
• Mandating a detailed local plan for Safe and Drug-Free Schools

In the context of sexual bullying, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has passed comprehensive policies prohibiting discrimination within all programs and activities. OCR enforces Title IX, which prohibits discrimination based on a student's sex in schools receiving Federal funds. ref