October is Bullying Prevention and Awareness Month. While it is important to explicitly acknowledge this month in our schools, school leaders also have a responsibility to support students and staff all year to create a safe and positive learning environment. At State College Area High School in State College, PA, here are three ways we do it.
1. We prioritize inclusion and belonging. Every year, when we update our comprehensive plan, we ensure our building has a goal that revolves around students’ and staff’s sense of inclusion and belonging. We collect feedback related to this goal throughout the year and reflect with our staff on what is working and what needs to be improved. Our team encourages kindness and empathy through collaboration with our student services groups, led by a social worker or school counselor, which focus on social-emotional learning, conflict resolution, and respect for diversity.
We kick off the first days of school with the administrative team speaking to each class about school expectations, updated board policies, and school procedures; we also play games and celebrate achievements of teams and clubs from over the summer. When school leaders can model and explain school expectations, we remove the burden from teachers during their first few weeks of school and students hear a consistent message. Each year, we also share with students and staff what our bullying/cyberbullying school policy is exactly, how and where to report bullying, and what reports of bullying must include to be helpful for an investigation.
2. We provide training. To support teachers and staff in identifying bullying behaviors, school leaders should ensure all school staff receive training on how to identify, intervene in, and prevent bullying. At State High, our students and staff created a REACT team, which stands for Respond, Engage, Advocate, Communicate, and Teach. REACT is a specific reporting tool for acts of bias. This team is comprised of teachers who accept and review each report and work with a specified administrator to address instances of bullying. The goal is to follow up with all parties (witness, victim, perpetrator) and offer support and explicit (re)teaching of expected student behaviors.
3. We use restorative practices. In our school, restorative practices allow students to understand the harm they caused and take accountability for their actions. Students who bully may benefit from having an adult mentor in the building to guide them in making better choices, managing social influences, and building their self-esteem in constructive ways. School leaders should work with relevant staff to make them aware of bullying situations and monitor interactions to prevent future incidents. Staff supervision in hallways and other school building areas outside of the classroom is important. Our administrative team also engages students in accountability projects for middle- and high-level offenses that include cyberbullying, in-person bullying, and harassment. These projects task the offender with reflecting on their actions, researching the impact of their behavior, and presenting their findings to school administration and parents. This approach creates a restorative opportunity for learning.
In observance of Bullying Prevention and Awareness Month this year, our school asked all students and staff to wear orange shirts to show solidarity across our entire school district on October 7 (World Day of Bullying Prevention) and October 16 (Unity Day). We also asked students to sign an anti-bullying pledge, and they watched anti-bullying and upstander videos that staff and students volunteered to make. Every year, these shared experiences create opportunities for students to speak up about bullying and work to prevent it in our school.
