|
Bullying Prevention:
The District strives to provide a safe, secure and respectful learning environment for all students in school buildings, on school grounds, in school buses and at school-sponsored activities. Bullying has a harmful social, physical, psychological and academic impact on bullies, victims and bystanders. The District consistently and vigorously addresses bullying so that there is no disruption to the learning environment and learning process.
The School District of Monroe utilizes a widely-accepted operational definition of bullying that was adopted from the PACER National Bullying Prevention Center. The District defines bullying as the following:
- Behavior that Hurts Others
- bullying can be direct (hitting, fighting, name calling)
- bullying can be indirect (gossiping, excluding others)
- Behavior that is Intentional
- bullying behavior is willful behavior with intent and deliberation
- Behavior that is Difficult to Stop
- bullying behavior is persistent despite repeated attempts to stop the behavior
- bullying is harassment and the victim must inform the person that the behavior is unacceptable and unwanted
The School District of Monroe has a 5-pronged plan that is utilized to address bullying:
- Awareness
- A variety of events and special programs to create discussion around the issue of bullying and the importance of addressing this it
- Curriculum & Character Education
- Guidance curriculum is provided at the elementary and middle school levels to provide specific strategies for dealing with instances of bullying
- Kindness, Courage, and Respect Retreats are provided to help build a culture of kindness, acceptance and empathy, as well as help students stand up for one another during conflict
- Link Crew is a yearlong transition program that is provided to all incoming freshmen at Monroe High School to develop safe relationships and a positive school culture
- Social-Emotional Screener (BESS)
- The District utilizes a standardized social-emotional screening survey called the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BESS) for all students in grades 4th through 12th
- The purpose of this survey is to identify underlying social and/or emotional deficits that may have an adverse impact on student performance
- Parents are offered the opportunity to opt their children out of this survey
- Students identified as having needs receive appropriate support from school staff and/or are referred to community resources
- Response
- All bullying incidents are handled per the School District of Monroe Anti-Bullying Policy
- Students that have 3 substantiated instances of bullying are officially identified as a "bully" for school purposes and receive intervention and education to address these behaviors (in addition to appropriate discipline)
- Communication
- Students are encouraged to contact a teacher or administrator any time they have any concerns regarding bullying or harassment
| 
