Bullying Prevention and Awareness
At GRACE Christian School, we believe that each student is a unique and special creation of God and should be treated as one of God’s image bearers (Gen 1:26, 27). GRACE is purposeful in striving to create a safe learning environment for all students to be free from bullying behaviors. GRACE takes a proactive approach through intentional bullying prevention and awareness among students, staff, and our school community.
Bullying is defined as “ the repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. Bullying can be physical, verbal, or psychological. It can happen face-to-face or online.” Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated or has the potential to be repeated over time.
There are three types of bullying:
Verbal bullying is saying or writing mean things. Verbal bullying includes:
- Teasing
- Name-calling
- Inappropriate sexual comments
- Taunting
- Threatening to cause harm
Social bullying, sometimes referred to as relational bullying, involves hurting someone’s reputation or relationships. Social bullying includes:
- Leaving someone out on purpose
- Telling other children not to be friends with someone
- Spreading rumors about someone
- Embarrassing someone in public
Physical bullying involves hurting a person’s body or possessions. Physical bullying includes:
- Hitting/kicking/pinching
- Spitting
- Tripping/pushing
- Taking or breaking someone’s things
- Making mean or rude hand gestures
GRACE uses specific bullying prevention and awareness approaches in the classroom, chapel services, and staff to student education, including the following:
- Using scripts and role plays to develop skills;
- Students are encouraged to take action by knowing what to do when they witness other students engaged in acts of bullying or retaliation, including seeking adult assistance and not remaining a silent bystander;
- Helping students understand the dynamics of bullying and cyber-bullying, including the underlying power imbalance;
- Emphasizing cyber-safety, including safe and appropriate use of electronic communication technologies;
- Enhancing students’ skills for engaging in healthy relationships and respectful communications, and engaging students in a safe, supportive school environment that respects diversity and difference.
Reporting Bullying Situations by Students, Parents/Guardians, and Others
GRACE Christian School expects students, parents or guardians, and others who witness or become aware of an instance of bullying or retaliation involving a student to report it to the principal or designee immediately. Reports may be made verbally or in writing to the principal, teacher, or other staff member. Students, parents, guardians, and others may request assistance from a staff member to complete a written report. Anonymous reporting will be investigated, but no disciplinary action will be taken against an alleged aggressor solely based on an anonymous report. Students will be provided with practical, safe, private, and age-appropriate ways to report and discuss an incident of bullying with the principal or designee.
Teacher and Administration Responses to Bullying
Teacher and administration responses to a bullying situation or a report of a bullying situation will include the following:
Ensure the safety of the targeted student
- Teachers will alert the principal or designee immediately
- The principal or designee will investigate the situation to determine if the behavior meets the definition of bullying or if it is an isolated incident that can be resolved.
- If behaviors constitute bullying, the following appropriate action/s will be implemented:
- Meeting with the targeted student and the student exhibiting bullying behavior, separately with the principal or designee. The target will not be forced to meet with the other student.
- Promoting safety for the targeted student and others
- Prohibiting retaliatory action
- Supporting the continued safety of the targeted student by developing an action plan should bullying behavior continue in the future
- Communication by the principal or designee with all teachers and administration of the students involved so the targeted student has assistance if needed throughout the school day
- Communication with the principal or designee and the parents of both students involved in the bullying situation to provide resources on how to help their student navigate the situation
- Teaching appropriate behavior through skills-building and continued counsel with appropriate staff
- Disciplinary actions as outlined in the handbook**
Best Practices for Prevention of Bullying in the Classroom
Establish clear communication of classroom rules about respect.
- Explain to students the rules and reinforce that the rules are to create a climate of respect and responsibility.
- Teach compassion and differing points of view through the subject curriculum.
- Model respect and calm Christian behavior when interacting with students.
- Establish regular opportunities for students to interact with all students in the classroom through differing seating arrangements and randomly (e.g., the popsicle stick method) or intentionally assigning groups. Do not allow group assignments based solely on student selection.
- Notice gateway bullying behaviors such as being rude, eye-rolling, making mean comments, teasing, etc.
- Address these behaviors immediately and own the impact of gateway behaviors; tell the student exhibiting this behavior that it is inappropriate to you as the teacher (not the child that was targeted) and will not be tolerated in your classroom.
- Be a role model and follow the rules yourself. Show students respect and encourage them to be successful.
- Make expectations clear. Keep your requests simple, direct, and specific.
- Reward good behavior. Try to affirm respectful behavior four to five times for every criticism of bad behavior.
- Use one-on-one feedback, and do not publicly reprimand.
- Help students correct their behaviors. Help them understand violating the rules results in consequences
If the teacher witnesses bullying in the classroom;
- Intervene immediately.
- Separate the students involved and make sure everyone is safe.
- Model respectful behavior when you intervene.
- Don’t ignore it or think students can work it out without adult help.
- Don’t try to sort out the facts on your own. Ask for administrative assistance immediately.
- Don’t force other students to say publicly what they saw.
- Don’t question the children involved in front of other students.
- Don’t talk to the students involved together, only separately.
- Don’t make the students involved apologize or patch up relations on the spot.
