Chapter 1: We Want Our Schools to Be Safe and Friendly

This chapter is a guide for educators and communities in their work to develop a safe and healthy school climate and, in the process, prevent bullying and harassment in their school community. This is Chapter 1 of the IDRA Interrupting Bullying & Harassment in Schools Online Technical Assistance Toolkit.

Introduction: Interrupting Bullying & Harassment in Schools

bully 1 intro cover sm This introduction provides a brief bullying and harassment overview along with highlights about its prevalence and impact, causes, special considerations for educators, and next steps.

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Bullying and Harassment in Schools – Literature Review

bully 2 lit review cover In order to ensure that all students have access to the everyday activities and lessons of school, educators must work to create safe educational spaces and prevent bullying and harassment in schools.

This literature review by Gretchen Brion-Meisels, Ed.D.; Eliza O’Neil, Ed.M.; & Sarah Bishop, M.A., for the IDRA EAC-South presents the research highlights on risk factors, school obligations under law, avoiding ineffective anti-bullying programs, fostering change, school climate, addressing bias-based harassment and addressing cyberbullying.

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Understanding and Addressing Racial Trauma and Supporting Black Students in Schools – Policy Brief

Understanding Racial Trauma and Supporting Black Students IDRA cover_thumb It is critical for schools to prepare adults to recognize, understand and address racial trauma in a healthy and non-punitive way. This document explains the particular history of racial trauma in the Black community, how this trauma may show up in schools, and how schools must prepare to support all students and adults in their community.

These resources were developed in collaboration with the Excellence and Advancement Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming how communities combat the school-to-prison pipeline. The organization assists schools, justice systems, organizations and corporations with critical, transformative and restorative solutions to culture, race, school discipline and incarceration.

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Stop Asian Hate! May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month –

IDRA Shares Resources to Support AAPI Students

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month! This is an important time to honor the diversity of Asian cultures and elevate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voices while recommitting to stand against hatred toward the Asian and Pacific Islander community. As students and families deal with the trauma of increased violence this year targeted at AAPI communities, we call for a stop to the hate, terrorism, racism and violence perpetrated against AAPI students and families.

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Preventing and Addressing Cyberbullying through Equitable State and Local Policies

As the use of social media and cell phones continues to expand and connect students more readily in important ways, so too does the rising threat of cyberbullying. Whether it concerns students “trolling” other students on Twitter because of their perceived gender, sending continuous text messages harassing a student because of their race, or posting repeated disparaging pictures implicating a student’s religion or immigration status on Instagram, cyberbullying comes in many forms.

Research shows that cyberbullying can increase the likelihood that bullied students use alcohol and drugs, skip school, receive poor grades, have lower self-esteem and experience health problems (www.stopbullying.gov). However, finding the right solution is not always easy.

Educator and Student Support