ASFG is committed to providing a supportive, caring, and safe environment where all members can work and learn in order to fulfill the mission and learning goals of the school. Parents, teachers, students, and the rest of the school community have a responsibility to contribute to the protection and maintenance of this environment. This bullying prevention policy is intended to establish and communicate the philosophy, expectations, and practices of the school and its community members to prevent and address bullying.
Bullying is any type of verbal, social, cyber, or physical aggression against a person, which is repeated and intended to harm. The underlying purpose of bullying is to humiliate or hurt another person. A bullied person is one who repeatedly is exposed to the negative actions of one or more persons. One of the key elements that define a bullying situation is the imbalance of power between the involved parties, such as an older student harassing a younger student.
Conflict is part of everyday life. Conflict might happen because needs are not met or because individuals have different ways of seeing or doing things. Conflicts can have positive or negative results, depending on how we choose to solve them. In a conflict situation, the two parties involved have equal power and therefore can negotiate a solution. On the other hand, one of the key elements that define a bullying situation is the imbalance of power.
While ASFG intervenes in all situations that involve our students well being, it is important to understand that not all situations faced are bullying situations. Conflict exists in all human interactions and can lead to learning opportunities. Therefore, it is very important to identify the type of situation is at hand in order to be able to respond adequately.
The ASFG community has an important role to play in bullying prevention and intervention. All ASFG members or visitors need to be aware of students’ interactions and be prepared to report bullying incidents. ASFG staff members are trained to intervene appropriately in situations they observe. Students are trained to intervene and stand up to bullying situations they witness. Reporting is most effective when it includes details and is done in person with a school administrator or counselor. Confidentiality is maintained by school administrators and counselors in order to protect all parties involved. Confidentiality ensures that parties are not labeled and it encourages other students and community members to come forward to describe bullying incidents.
Parents, students, and the school have various roles in prevention, intervention, and reporting:
If parents suspect their child is a victim, witness, or a participant in bullying situations, they must take immediate action to involve the school. The intervention of an adult is usually the only way to break the cycle of harassment. ASFG recommends that parents:
Students must take an active role to reduce bullying incidents. Most students are neither bullies nor victims; but they are often witnesses of bullying situations. Students who witness an incident of harassment play a key role in perpetuating or stopping the situation. The following are some strategies that students can use:
The school’s role is to prevent bullying situations through education and intervention. Each section accomplishes this in an age-appropriate manner and attuned to the needs of their students and teachers.
The main goal of ASFG’s Bullying Prevention Program is to educate the school community about bullying and how to address it. It is intended to reduce the number of students who are involved in bullying situations and to provide the community with tools to recognize and report bullying behavior.
ASFG’s program seeks to transform, through a continuous process of dialog and reflection, the community’s social norms and reinforce the school’s identity as that of a caring community. Ultimately, the program’s purpose is to transmit the enormous power and responsibility that each member of the school has when witnessing behaviors that do not reflect the school’s values. The program consists of five main areas:
Human Development Program: Through this program, students learn and practice skills that allow them to continue developing and nurturing healthy relationships. Students are able to focus on their personal and social development and identify indicators of unhealthy relationships, bullying situations and conflicts. Students are exposed to tools that help them address harmful relationships and situations.
Workshops: Workshops on topics related to bullying prevention are offered to ASFG staff and parents. The main goals of the workshops are to communicate relevant and updated information about the school’s policies, offer mechanisms for dealing with bullying situations and to create a common language and understanding among the different members of the school.
School and section events that focus on a caring community: Every year, time is designated to reinforce and celebrate our values as a caring community. Through a collaborative effort, teachers and students of all sections participate in different activities that promote a caring school climate.
School Climate/Bullying Survey: Students participate in a bullying survey and parents complete a school climate survey on a regular basis. These surveys provide the school with valuable information about students’ and parents’ perceptions. The data is utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of the program and establish new goals. Students and teachers also reflect on these survey results, using critical thinking and extrapolating from the data to their own experience.
Class meetings: The purpose of class meetings is to build class cohesion and community, teach bullying prevention, and help students understand their role and the consequences of bullying behaviors. Class meetings provide opportunities for students to be heard in a safe environment and enhance communication among peers.
If a potential bullying situation arises, community members have a responsibility to initiate the intervention process by submitting a formal report. The report should include specific details including:
This report should be submitted to the section administrative team (Principal, Assistant Principal, or counselor[s]) in writing using the report form found in each section office.
The following is an overview of the process that is followed by the counselors and the administrative teams of each section after an official report has been submitted:
Disciplinary decisions made by teachers and administrators are determined after a due and fair process taking into consideration the developmental stage, history, needs of the student, the seriousness of the infraction, and school safety. The school may choose to use meetings, reflections, counseling, action plans, restitution plans, detention, suspension, the temporary suspension of rights, or expulsion as ways to discipline students who bully. Parents will be informed of all serious issues concerning their son/daughter and the process used for establishing appropriate consequences; they will be expected to support the school’s decision with respect to those consequences. Guidance from ASFG counselors, a psychologist, or an external professional may be recommended. Confidentiality of these decisions is a critical component of the process so that students are not labeled and can learn from the experience.