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5131.911P
STUDENTS
BULLYING PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION
The Colchester Board of Education (the “Board”) is committed to creating and
maintaining an educational environment that is physically, emotionally, and intellectually
safe and thus free from bullying, teen dating violence, harassment, and discrimination.
In accordance with state law and the Board’s Safe School Climate Plan, the Board
expressly prohibits any form of bullying behavior on school grounds; at a
school-sponsored or school-related activity, function or program, whether on or off
school grounds; at a school bus stop; on a school bus or other vehicle owned, leased or
used by a local or regional board of education; or through the use of an electronic device
or an electronic mobile device owned, leased or used by the Board.
The Board also prohibits any form of bullying behavior outside of the school setting if
such bullying (i) creates a hostile environment at school for the student against whom
such bullying was directed, (ii) infringes on the rights of the student against whom such
bullying was directed at school, or (iii) substantially disrupts the education process or the
orderly operation of a school. Discrimination and/or retaliation against an individual
who reports or assists in the investigation of an act of bullying is likewise prohibited.
Students who engage in bullying behavior or teen dating violence shall be subject to
school discipline, up to and including expulsion, in accordance with the Board's policies
on student discipline, suspension and expulsion, and consistent with state and federal
law.
For purposes of this policy, “Bullying” means an act that is direct or indirect and severe,
persistent or pervasive, which:
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.
Bullying shall include, but need not be limited to, a written, oral, or electronic
communication or physical act or gesture based on any actual or perceived
differentiating characteristics, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin,
gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, socioeconomic status,
academic status, physical appearance, or mental, physical, developmental or sensory
BULLYING PREVENTION & INTERVENTION Page 1 of 6
disability, or by association with an individual or group who has or is perceived to have
one or more of such characteristics.
For purposes of this policy, "Cyberbullying" means any act of bullying through the use of
the Internet, interactive and digital technologies, cellular mobile telephone or other
mobile electronic devices or any electronic communications.
For purposes of this policy, “Teen Dating Violence” means any act of physical, emotional
or sexual abuse, including stalking, harassing and threatening, that occurs between two
students who are currently in or who have recently been in a dating relationship.
Consistent with the requirements under state law, the Board authorizes the
Superintendent or his/her designee(s), along with the Safe School Climate Coordinator,
to be responsible for developing and implementing a Safe School Climate Plan in
furtherance of this policy. As provided by state law, such Safe School Climate Plan shall
include, but not be limited to provisions which:
(1) enable students to anonymously report acts of bullying to school
employees and require students and the parents or guardians of students
to be notified at the beginning of each school year of the process by
which students may make such reports;
(2) enable the parents or guardians of students to file written reports of
suspected bullying;
(3) require school employees who witness acts of bullying or receive reports
of bullying to orally notify the safe school climate specialist, or another
school administrator if the safe school climate specialist is unavailable,
not later than one school day after such school employee witnesses or
receives a report of bullying, and to file a written report not later than
two school days after making such oral report;
(4) require the safe school climate specialist to investigate or supervise the
investigation of all reports of bullying and ensure that such investigation
is completed promptly after receipt of any written reports made under
this section and that the parents or guardians of the student alleged to
have committed an act or acts of bullying and the parents or guardians of
the student against whom such alleged act or acts were directed receive
prompt notice that such investigation has commenced;
(5) require the safe school climate specialist to review any anonymous
reports, except that no disciplinary action shall be taken solely on the
basis of an anonymous report;
BULLYING PREVENTION & INTERVENTION Page 2 of 6
(6) include a prevention and intervention strategy for school employees to
deal with bullying and teen dating violence;
(7) provide for the inclusion of language in student codes of conduct
concerning bullying;
(8) require each school to notify the parents or guardians of students who
commit any verified acts of bullying and the parents or guardians of
students against whom such acts were directed not later than forty-eight
hours after the completion of the investigation described in subdivision
(4), above; (A) of the results of such investigation, and (B) verbally or by
electronic mail, if such parents’ or guardians’ electronic mail addresses
are known, that such parents or guardians may refer to the plain language
explanation of the rights and remedies available under Conn. Gen. Stat.
Section 10-4a and 10-4b published on the Internet website of the Board;
(9) require each school to invite the parents or guardians of a student against
whom such act was directed to a meeting to communicate to such
parents or guardians the measures being taken by the school to ensure
the safety of the student against whom such act was directed and policies
and procedures in place to prevent further acts of bullying;
(10) require each school to invite the parents or guardians of a student who
commits any verified act of bullying to a meeting, separate and distinct
from the meeting required in subdivision (9) above, to discuss specific
interventions undertaken by the school to prevent further acts of
bullying;
(11) establish a procedure for each school to document and maintain records
relating to reports and investigations of bullying in such school and to
maintain a list of the number of verified acts of bullying in such school
and make such list available for public inspection, and annually report
such number to the Department of Education and in such manner as
prescribed by the Commissioner of Education;
(12) direct the development of case-by-case interventions for addressing
repeated incidents of bullying against a single individual or recurrently
perpetrated bullying incidents by the same individual that may include
both counseling and discipline;
(13) prohibit discrimination and retaliation against an individual who reports
or assists in the investigation of an act of bullying;
(14) direct the development of student safety support plans for students
against whom an act of bullying was directed that address safety
BULLYING PREVENTION & INTERVENTION Page 3 of 6
measures the school will take to protect such students against further
acts of bullying;
(15) require the principal of a school, or the principal's designee, to notify the
appropriate local law enforcement agency when such principal, or the
principal's designee, believes that any acts of bullying constitute criminal
conduct;
(16) prohibit bullying (A) on school grounds, at a school-sponsored or
school-related activity, function or program whether on or off school
grounds, at a school bus stop, on a school bus or other vehicle owned,
leased or used by a local or regional board of education, or through the
use of an electronic device or an electronic mobile device owned, leased
or used by the Board, and (B) outside of the school setting if such bullying
(i) creates a hostile environment at school for the student against whom
such bullying was directed, or (ii) infringes on the rights of the student
against whom such bullying was directed at school, or (iii) substantially
disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a school;
(17) require, at the beginning of each school year, each school to provide all
school employees with a written or electronic copy of the school district's
safe school climate plan; and
(18) require that all school employees annually complete the training
described in Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 10-220a or 10-222j related to the
identification, prevention and response to bullying.
The notification required pursuant to subdivision (8) (above) and the invitation required
pursuant to subdivisions (9) and (10) (above) shall include a description of the response
of school employees to such acts and any consequences that may result from the
commission of further acts of bullying. Any information provided under this policy or
accompanying Safe School Climate Plan shall be provided in accordance with the
confidentiality restrictions imposed under the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act
("FERPA") and the district's Confidentiality and Access to Student Information policy and
regulations.
The Board shall submit its Safe School Climate Plan to the State Department of
Education for review and approval. Not later than thirty (30) calendar days after
approval by the Department, the Board shall make such plan available on the Board's
and each individual school in the school district's web site and ensure that the Safe
School Climate Plan is included in the school district's publication of the rules,
procedures and standards of conduct for schools and in all student handbooks.
As required by state law, the Board, after consultation with the Connecticut Department
of Education and the Connecticut Social and Emotional Learning and School Climate
Advisory Collaborative, shall provide on the Board’s website training materials to school
BULLYING PREVENTION & INTERVENTION Page 4 of 6
administrators regarding the prevention of and intervention in discrimination against
and targeted harassment of students based on such students’ (1) actual or perceived
differentiating characteristics, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin,
gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, socioeconomic status,
academic status, physical appearance or mental, physical, developmental or sensory
disability, or (2) association with individuals or groups who have or are perceived to have
one or more of such characteristics.
As required by state law, the Board shall post on its website the plain language
explanation of rights and remedies under Connecticut General Statutes §§ 10-4a and
10-4b, as developed and provided to the Board by the Connecticut Social and Emotional
Learning and School Climate Advisory Collaborative.
Legal References:
Public Act 19-166Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-145a
Public Act 21-95
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-145o
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-220a
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-222d
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-222g
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-222h
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-222j
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-222k
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-222l
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-222q
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-222r
BULLYING PREVENTION & INTERVENTION Page 5 of 6
Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 10-233a through 10-233f
Policy adopted: January 14, 2003
Policy revised: January 13, 2009
Policy revised: December 13, 2011
Policy revised: March 9, 2021
Policy revised: November 9, 2021
COLCHESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Colchester, Connecticut
BULLYING PREVENTION & INTERVENTION Page 6 of 6
Bullying Prevention & Intervention #5131.911(a)
Colchester Public Schools Safe School Climate Plan
Introduction
There is a growing understanding that school climate is an integral component of the learning environment and essential for school
improvement. Connecticut has defined school climate as “the quality and character of school life with a particular focus on the quality
of the relationships within the school community between and among students and adults.” The National School Climate Standards
provide a vision and framework for a positive and sustainable school climate. Through the implementation of appropriate prevention
and intervention strategies the Colchester Public Schools will sustain school environments where all members are welcomed,
supported and feel safe in school; socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually. In response to the need to establish these
positive school climates, the Board of Education has adopted the following Safe School Climate Plan.
Component Actions Person(s) Responsible Timeline
Bullying Implement and enforce Bullying Prevention and Superintendent of Schools Ongoing
Prevention and Intervention Policy which includes: School Administrators
Intervention • Student codes of conduct that are defined and prohibit
Policy bullying in accordance with state law.
• A prohibition against bullying on school grounds, at a
school-sponsored or school-related activity, function or
program whether on or off school grounds, at a school
bus stop, on a school bus or other vehicle owned,
leased or used by a local or regional board of
education, or through the use of an electronic device.
• A prohibition of bullying outside of the school setting
if such bullying results in any of the following: (i)
creates a hostile environment at school for the student
against whom such bullying was directed, (ii) infringes
on the rights of the student against whom such bullying
was directed at school, or (iii) substantially disrupts the
education process or the orderly operation of a school.
• A prohibition against any form of discrimination and
retaliation directed toward an individual who reports or
assists in the investigation of an act of bullying is also
strictly prohibited.
• A prohibition against teen dating violence as defined
as, “any act of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse,
including stalking, harassment and threatening that
occurs between two students who are currently or have
Bullying Prevention & Intervention #5131.911(b)
recently been in a dating relationship.”
Notification • Provide all school employees with a written or Safe School Climate District Annually
Requirements electronic copy of the school district's Safe School Coordinator
Climate Plan.
• Notify students and parents/guardians/caregivers of the Safe School Climate District Annually
process by which students may make reports of Coordinator
bullying.
• Notify students and parents/guardians of the process by Safe School Climate District Ongoing
which students may make anonymous reports of Coordinator, Specialists, and
bullying. School Administrators
• Educate students about the district’s Bullying School Administrators Ongoing
Prevention and Intervention Policy through Teachers
developmentally appropriate discussions of the
schools’ behavioral expectations as specified in policy.
• Educate parents/guardians/caregivers about the
district’s Bullying Prevention and Intervention Policy School Administrators Annually
through a variety of communication vehicles including
the digital backpack, open houses, PTO meetings,
Community conversation/forums, etc.
• Publish Bullying Prevention and Intervention Policy
and Safe School Climate Plan on the school and
district's web sites and in the District Policy Handbook Superintendent of Schools Annually
for parents/guardians/caregivers and student School principal
handbooks.
Safe School • Appoint District Safe School Climate Coordinator Superintendent of Schools Annually
Climate • Appoint Safe School Climate Specialists in each school
Committee School Principals Annually
• Establish Safe School Climate Committee in
accordance with the law, including at least one
parent/guardian/caregiver of a student at the school Safe School Climate District Annually
Coordinator and Safe School
• Ensure that parent(s)/guardian(s)/caregiver(s) serving Climate Specialists
on the Committee do not participate in any activities
Bullying Prevention & Intervention #5131.911(c)
which may compromise the confidentiality of any
student. Safe School Climate District Ongoing
• Establish roles, responsibilities and procedures for Safe Coordinator and Safe School
School Climate Committee including: Climate Specialists
• Receive copies of completed reports following
investigations of bullying; Safe School Climate Specialists Ongoing
• Identify and address patterns of bullying among
students in the school;
• Review and make recommendations to amend
school policies relating to bullying;
• Review and make recommendations to the district
safe school climate coordinator regarding the
district's safe school climate plan based on issues
and experiences specific to the school;
• Educate students, school employees and parents
and guardians of students on issues relating to
bullying;
• Collaborate with the district safe school climate
coordinator in the collection of data regarding
bullying, in accordance with the law;
• Perform any other duties as determined by the
school principal that are related to the prevention,
identification and response to school bullying for
the school.
Prevention and • Identify effective evidence-based prevention and Director of Curriculum, Ongoing
Intervention intervention strategies. Strategies may include, but are Instruction, Safe School Climate
Strategy not limited to the following: District Coordinator and Safe
School Climate Specialists
o Implement a positive behavioral interventions
and supports process or another evidence-based Identified teachers
curriculum for safe school climate or for the Ongoing
prevention of bullying
o Make students aware of school rules School Administrators and
prohibiting bullying, harassment and Teachers Ongoing
intimidation and establish appropriate
consequences for those who engage in such
Bullying Prevention & Intervention #5131.911(d)
acts;
o Provide adult supervision of outdoor areas, School Administrators and
hallways, the lunchroom, the bus, and other School Employees Ongoing
specific areas where bullying is likely to occur;
o Inclusion of grade-appropriate bullying
education and prevention curricula in Director of Curriculum and
kindergarten through high school; Instruction, Identified Teachers Ongoing
o Individual interventions with the bully, parents
and school employees, and interventions with Safe School Climate Specialists
the bullied child, parents and school employees; and School Administrators
o School-wide training related to safe school Annual
climate, to include relevant training in Title
IX/Sexual harassment, Section 504/ADA, and Director of Curriculum and
cultural diversity. Instruction/School Principals Ongoing
o Student peer training, education and support,
including advocacy for victims Ongoing, as
indicated
o Promotion of parent involvement in bullying Safe School Climate Specialists As determined by
prevention through individual or team Committee
participation in meetings, trainings and
individual interventions. Safe School Climate Specialists
and School Administrators
o Training in prevention, identification and
response to teen dating violence for school
employees.
• Implement the evidence-based prevention and School Administrators
intervention strategies identified by the Safe School
Climate Committee
Identified School Employees
Bullying Prevention & Intervention #5131.911(e)
Assessment of • Complete an assessment using the school climate Safe School Climate Committee Biennially
School assessment instruments including surveys, approved thereafter,
Climate and disseminated by the State Department of Education
for each school Safe School Climate District
• Submit assessment results for each school in the district Coordinator
to the State Department of Education Safe School Climate Committee Biennially
• Review and analyze data obtained from climate
surveys/ make necessary modifications to the district Safe School Climate Committee
plan Ongoing
• Compare and contrast survey results with the National District Safe School Climate
School Climate Standards and best practices Coordinator
• Meet with Safe School Climate Specialists at least Ongoing
twice during each school year to discuss issues related
to school climate/bullying and make recommendations
to BOE Policy Committee concerning revisions to the Two times per
District’s Bullying Prevention and Intervention Policy school year
and/or Safe School Climate Plan
Bullying Prevention & Intervention #5131.911(f)
Training • Provide all certified school employees training on the Safe School Climate District Annually
prevention, identification and response to bullying and Coordinator and Specialists
the prevention of and response to youth suicide. The
training will be provided to teachers, administrators and
pupil personnel who hold the initial educator,
provisional educator or professional educator certificate
via in-service training.
• Provide all other school employees training provided
by the State Department of Education. CSDE with Safe School Climate Annually
District Coordinator and
• Provide annual notice to students and Specialists
parents/guardians/caregivers of the process by which
bullying reports are made School Principal Annually
• Ensure the inclusion of language in student discipline
policy concerning bullying as posted in District Parent Superintendent of Schools
Policy Manual Board of Education Annually
• Provide all school employees with written or electronic
copy of school district’s safe school climate plan Superintendent of Schools Annually at
beginning of school
• Require that all school employees and bus drivers year
annual complete training on the identification,
prevention, and response to bullying as required by law Director of Curriculum and
Instruction/School Principals Annually
Transportation Coordinator
Bullying Prevention & Intervention #5131.911(g)
Reporting • Orally notify the Safe School Climate Specialist or All school employees Within one school
Procedures school Administrator after being witness to acts of day after
bullying or receiving reports of bullying witnessing/receiving
• File a written report with the Safe School Climate All school employees report
Specialist after being witness to acts of bullying or
receiving reports of bullying Within two school
• Any student who believes s/he has been the victim of All Students days of oral
bullying/cyberbullying or who has witnessed bullying notification
behavior should report the matter to any school
employee, either in writing or anonymously. Ongoing
• Parent(s)/guardian(s)/caregiver(s) may file written
reports of Suspected bullying/cyberbullying. All
• Report acts of bullying that may constitute a criminal Parents/Guardians/Caregivers
offense to appropriate law enforcement
School administrator Ongoing
Ongoing
Investigation • Develop and disseminate investigation procedures for Safe School Climate District Annually
use by safe school climate specialists. Coordinator
• Investigate or supervise the investigation of all reports
of bullying and ensure that such investigation is Safe School Climate Promptly
completed promptly after receipt of any written reports. Specialists/School
Administrators
• Review any anonymous reports, except that no
disciplinary action shall be taken solely on the basis of
an anonymous report. Safe School Climate Promptly
Specialists/School
• Determine whether the alleged conduct occurred & Administrators
whether such conduct constitutes bullying as defined in
the district policy. Safe School Climate Upon completion of
Specialists/School investigation
• Investigate bullying incidents that raise concerns about Administrators
discrimination or harassment on basis of legally
protected classifications School administrators refer As indicated
Bullying Prevention & Intervention #5131.911(h)
• Notify the parents/caregivers of the victim and the investigations to Director of
parents/caregivers of the student alleged to have Pupil Services
committed acts of bullying that an investigation has School Administrators Promptly
commenced.
Response to • Take prompt corrective action that is reasonably Safe School Climate Upon determination
Verified Acts calculated to stop the bullying and prevent any Specialists/School that bullying has
of Bullying recurrence of such behavior, if it is determined that Administrators occurred
bullying has occurred.
• Notify the parents/guardians/caregivers of students who School Administrators
commit any verified acts of bullying and the parents or 48 hours after the
guardians of students against whom such acts were completion of the
directed. This notification shall include a description investigation
of the response of school employees to such acts, with
care taken to respect the statutory privacy rights of
others students, including the perpetrator. The specific
disciplinary consequences imposed on the perpetrator,
or personally identifiable information about a student
other than the parent/guardian/caregiver’s own child
may not be disclosed except as provided by law.
• Invite the parent(s)/guardian(s)/caregiver(s) of students
who engage in any verified acts of bullying after the
completion of the investigation to a meeting at which
the following will be shared: School Administrator
1. A description of the verified act(s). Upon determination
2. A description of the school’s interventions in that bullying has
response to the act(s). occurred
3. Consequences, as appropriate
• Invite the parent(s)/guardian(s)/caregiver(s) of any
student against whom an act of bullying was verified
after the completion of the investigation at which the
following information will be shared:
1. A description of the verified act(s). School Administrator
2. A description of the school’s interventions
designed to keep the student safe & prevent any
further acts of bullying. Upon determination
3. The content of the student safety support plan. that bullying has
Bullying Prevention & Intervention #5131.911(i)
Except in rare circumstances, such meetings with parents occurred
and guardians should be held separately.
• Develop a student safety support plan for any student
against whom an act of bullying was directed. The plan
shall address safety measures the school will take to
protect such students against further acts of bullying.
• Develop case-by-case interventions to address repeated Safe School Climate
incidents of bullying against a single individual or Specialists/School
recurrently perpetrated bullying incidents by the same Administrators
individual that may include both counseling and
discipline. Upon determination
that bullying has
occurred
Safe School Climate
Specialists/School
Administrators
Upon determination
that bullying has
occurred
Documentation • Establish a procedure for each school to: Safe School Climate District July 1, 2012
and Record o Document and maintain records relating to Coordinator & Specialists
Keeping reports and investigations of bullying in the
school.
o Maintain a list of the number of verified acts of
bullying in the school and make such list
available for public inspection. This public list
must not contain any personally identifiable
information about any student or information
that might reasonably lead to the identification
of any student.
• Report the number of verified acts of bullying in the
district’s schools to the Department of Education in Safe School Climate District Annually based on
such manner as prescribed by the Commissioner of Coordinator timeline established
Education by CSDE
Bullying Prevention & Intervention #5131.911(j)
Regulation adopted: March 11, 2003 Colchester Public Schools
Regulation revised: December 13, 2011 Colchester, CT
Regulation revised: December 9, 2014