BULLYING PREVENTION POLICY

SEPTEMBER 2021

Safe Haven School exists to provide a psychologically and emotionally safe atmosphere in which its students can flourish and grow. Bullying is not tolerated, and persistent bullying will result in a meeting with the student’s parent and school district to discuss placement. Safe Haven School defines bullying as follows:

using any form or type of aggressive behavior that does physical or psychological harm to someone else and/or urging other students to engage in such conduct. Prohibited aggressive behavior includes, without limitation, the use of violence, force, noise, coercion, threats, intimidation, profanity, demeaning or hurtful statements, or other comparable conduct.
creating, accessing and/or distributing at school any written or electronic material, including material from the Internet that will cause substantial disruption of the proper and orderly operation and discipline of the school or school activities, or interferes with the rights of other students or staff members.
- Public Act 098-0801 has been expanded its prohibition of cyber-bullying to “non-school-related locations” under the following circumstances:
  - (4) through the transmission of information from a computer that is accessed at a non-school-related location, activity, function, or program or from the use of technology or an electronic device that is not owned, leased, or used by a school district or school if the bullying causes a substantial disruption to the educational process or orderly operation of a school. This item (4) applies only in cases in which a school administrator or teacher receives a report that bullying through this means has occurred.

105 ILCS 5/27-23.7(a)(4) (Emphasis added). Consequently, Safe Haven School may now discipline a student for cyber-bullying that occurs through the use of a student’s personal device, even if the device was used in the privacy of their home, so long as the bullying causes a “substantial disruption” to the educational process or orderly operation of our school.

Pursuant to the Act, the pertinent Section of the School Code now also defines “cyberbullying” as,
- [Bullying through the use of technology or any electronic communication, including without limitation any transfer of signs, signals, writing, images, sounds, data, or intelligence of any nature transmitted in whole or in part by a wire, radio, electromagnetic system, photo electronic system, or photo optical system, including without limitation electronic mail, Internet communications, instant messages, or facsimile communications. . . . [which] includes the creation of a webpage or weblog in which the creator assumes the identity of another person or the knowing impersonation of another person as the author of the posted content or messages . . . . [and] also includes the distribution by electronic means of a communication to more than one person or the posting of material on an electronic medium that may be assessed by one or more persons if the distribution or posting creates any of the effects enumerated in the definition of bullying in this Section.
harassing or intimidating a student based upon a student’s sex, color, race, religion, creed, ancestry, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, or other protected group status.

Bullying, Intimidation, Harassment and Sexual Harassment Policy

In this regard, bullying means any severe or pervasive physical or verbal act or conduct, including communications made in writing or electronically, directed toward a student or students that has or can be reasonably predicted to have the effect of one or more of the following: 1. Placing the student in reasonable fear of harm to the student’s person or property; 2. Causing a substantially detrimental effect on the student’s physical or emotional health; 3. Substantially interfering with the student’s academic performance; or 4. Substantially interfering with the student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by the school. Bullying may take various forms, including but not limited to one of the following: harassment, threats, intimidation, stalking, physical violence, sexual harassment, sexual violence, theft, public humiliation, destruction of property, This list is illustrative but not exhaustive. This policy also includes, “cyber-bullying”, “bullying through the use of technology or any electronic communication” including writing, images, and sounds.

Bullying is contrary to State law and the policy of the school.

Students who believe they are victims of bullying, intimidation or harassment or have witnessed such activities are strongly encouraged to discuss the matter with their teacher, social worker, or administrative staff, or parent/guardian. Parents/ guardians will also be notified after a student makes a report of a bullying incident. Parents/guardians are also strongly encouraged to contact a member of the administrative team, either the Director of Educational Services or the Director of Clinical Services if they become aware of this type of behavior. Complaints will be kept confidential to the extent possible given the need to investigate. Please email sdeal@safehavenschool.org or ssmith@safehavenschool.org. to report the situation and they will contact you to talk further about the matter. School phone number 847- 604-3903, Ms. Deal’s cell phone number is 847-707-8373 and the Clinical Director’s cell phone number is 847-707-0298 if you would prefer to talk about the situation.

Investigation Procedure

1) Investigations will be conducted by one or all of Safe Haven School Directors (Executive Director, Clinical Director and Educational Director).

2) A reasonable effort will be made to complete the investigation within ten (10) school days after the date the report of the incident of bullying was received and taking into consideration additional relevant information received during the investigation about the reported incident of bullying.

3) Involve appropriate school support personnel and other staff persons with knowledge, experience, and training on bullying prevention, as deemed appropriate, in the investigation

process.

4) Notify appropriate school personnel and Directors of the report of the incident of bullying as soon as possible after the report is received.

5) Safe Haven School will contact the student’s parent/guardian, home school district and will provide information about the current incident, the school’s response, and the recommended intervention and consequences, as well as the consequences for any further bullying incidents.

6) Consistent with Federal and State laws and rules governing student privacy rights and providing parents/guardians of the students who are parties to the investigation information about the investigation and an opportunity to meet with the school administrator or designee to discuss the investigation, the findings of the investigation, and the actions taken to address the reported incident of bullying.”

Safe Haven School will protect students against retaliation for reporting incidents of bullying, intimidation, and or (sexual) harassment, and will take action against any student who participates in such conduct. Any student who is determined, after an investigation, to have engaged in bullying, intimidation or harassment will be subject to disciplinary consequences and an intervention plan as determined by the administrative team. Any student making a knowingly false accusation regarding harassment may also be subject to consequences and an intervention plan as determined by the administrative staff. Therapeutic services and other restorative measures will be provided as indicated.

Consequences follow inappropriate behavior. The primary consideration in the implementation of any consequence is the least extreme action that may solve the immediate problem. Our effort is to have natural consequences that are consistent, clear and fair. The goal of the disciplinary consequences and an intervention plan is to change the student’s behavior. The intervention plan will also take into account the nature, frequency, and duration of the behavior. The plan provides opportunities for a student to change his/her behavior based on understanding its impact on others. The plan uses specific strategies including reflective activities, social learning activities, and restorative activities to help students who have been involved in bullying incidents or any other behavioral incidents.

Consequences and Interventions may include but are not limited to one or a combination of the following:

Collaborative Problem Solving

Mediation

Tailor-made reflection learning

Meeting with an administrator

Behavior contract or incentive program

Conflict resolution

Loss of recess

Loss of computer time

Required escort in building

Morning check-in, end of the day check-out

Lunch/Study Hall Detention

Additional counseling

IEP meeting

Suspension (in school or out of school)

Placement change as determined by the IEP team

When a student does receive a consequence of doing their schoolwork in an alternate location other than the classroom, a staff member is always present to supervise and provide support to the student. The student’s social worker will typically also meet with the student to help provide support.

Safe Haven School has an evaluation process to assess the outcomes and effectiveness of its Bullying Prevention Policy. The evaluation considers the following factors;

The frequency of victimization.
Student, staff, and family observations of safety at school.
Identification of areas of the school where bullying occurs.
The types of bullying that are common or occurring.
Bystander intervention or participation.
The information developed as part of the evaluation process must be posted on the district website. If the internet website is not available, the information must be provided to school administrators, school board members, school personnel, parents, guardians, and students

The policy includes a process to investigate if the reported act of bullying is within the permissible scope of the school’s jurisdiction. The policy also provides the victims with information regarding therapeutic services that are available at school or in the community.

The Bullying Prevention Policy is posted on the school’s website, student handbook, and is distributed annually to parents, guardians, students, and staff, including new employees when hired.

Safe Haven School strives to have a culture of kindness permeate the school program and to create a climate where students feel supported and encouraged. Safe Haven School’s commitment to the student and their family is to provide a psychologically and physically safe and secure environment that will enable each student to achieve their goals of academic and social-emotional growth and success.