The board of education often hears about issues regarding conflicts between students, or bullying. It’s important that we all understand the definition of bullying as adopted by the state legislature.
Bullying means an act that is direct or indirect and severe, persistent or pervasive, that: (1) causes physical or emotional harm to an individual; (2) places an individual in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm; or (3) infringes on the rights or opportunities of an individual at school.
The schools follow specific procedures in regard to allegations of bullying. First, it is important to note that bullying is an act or incident—the schools never label a child’s behavior as bullying or call the child a bully. Labels stick and cause further harm—it is the act itself that is the issue.
An act of bullying may be reported by a student, parent or even by the school. Incident reports can be made in a number of ways, including anonymously. In order for a bullying investigation to begin, the act needs to be recorded on a Report of Suspected Bullying form and submitted to building administration. All parties are then notified by the building administration that a bullying investigation has begun.
The investigation will include speaking with the individuals involved, any possible witnesses and reviewing any artifacts such as texts, security video or other evidence. Once the investigation concludes, parties are notified in writing that the act was “verified,” meaning there is evidence that the act meets the bullying definition above, or “not verified.”
Parents are invited to attend a meeting to discuss the outcome. If verified, a safety plan will be put in place for all individuals involved and disciplinary measures are put into place as appropriate. Results of bullying investigations are kept on file at the school and district level and a count of incidents per school is reported, without identifying data, as required by state law. For context, Granby schools have 1,700 students and last year had 10 reports of bullying of which four were verified.
Oftentimes behavior may be mean-spirited or inappropriate, but it may not amount to a verified case of bullying. Behaviors identified will be addressed if reported, even if they do not meet the bullying definition.
The Granby Board of Education does not play a role in such investigations or incidents as that is the role of the administration. It is important for board members to stay unbiased in case any more serious consequence, such as expulsion, needs to be considered. As discussed in the September issue, FERPA prevents the school district from publicly discussing any disciplinary issues or repercussions a student might experience as a result of an incident.
Bullying isn’t solely a school problem; it is a community-wide concern, often exacerbated by social media use or misuse and cell phone usage. While the school is a likely and convenient venue for bullying, it also occurs everywhere else in the community. It is important that parents stay vigilant in monitoring their children and promptly address actions committed by them or communicate with the parent of the child that may be acting inappropriately.
As discussed in the October issue, we ask that community members keep in mind that social media is not the most accurate source of information in regard to actual issues with the school. If you have a concern, please contact the administration or reach out to askgps@granbyschools.org