Policy of Respect (HIB)

International Baccalaureate

PYP And MYP Policy of Respect – HIB
Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying

PYP (Primary Years Programme) / MYP (Middle Years Programme)

 

St. Luke Catholic School is committed to providing all students, staff and families with a safe and supportive school environment. Members of the school community are expected to treat each other with respect. The Policy of Respect applies to students, staff, and any visitors to the school campus.

St. Luke School strives to maintain an environment where students will not be harassed because of their age, race, color, national origin, mental or physical disability, or physical attributes.

Defining Harassment, Intimidation, and/or Bullying (HIB)

Saint Luke School defines HIB as actions that:

• Are repeated (or have the potential to be repeated)
• Involve a real or perceived imbalance of power
• Have the intent to cause physical or emotional harm
• Have a significant impact on the bullied student

Harassment, intimidation, or bullying may include an intentional electronic, written, verbal, auditory or physical act.

Examples of HIB could include the following: 

• Hurting someone physically by hitting, kicking, tripping or pushing
• Stealing or damaging another person’s things
• Targeting 
• Teasing someone in a hurtful way, or name calling
• Using put-downs, such as insulting someone’s race or making fun of someone for being a boy or a girl
• Touching or showing private body parts
• Inappropriate language or behavior
• Spreading malicious rumors or untruths about someone
• Leaving someone out on purpose, or trying to get other kids not to play with someone 
• Threatening
• Any of the above behaviors using electronic devices

Statement of Scope for Harassment, Intimidation, and/or Bullying (HIB)

St. Luke School’s consequences for HIB apply when it happens: 

On school grounds: Immediately before or after school hours, during school hours, or at any other time when the school is being used by a school group

Off school grounds: At a school activity, function, or event

When traveling: To or from school or a school activity, function, or event

Using property or equipment: Provided by the school

On or off school grounds: When it has caused significant disruption to the learning environment or interfered with an individual’s ability to learn

 

Reporting Harassment, Intimidation, and/or Bullying (HIB)

It is St. Luke School’s expectation that all HIB incidents be reported. 

1. Teachers witnessing or who become aware of a HIB situation should address it immediately. Many times the situation can be rectified before it requires complicated interventions. 
2. If a situation cannot be resolved by the teacher, a referral to the Student Life Director may be necessary. 
3. If a situation cannot be resolved by the teacher or the Student Life Director, a referral to the administration (or designated staff member) may be necessary. 

*Extreme cases of HIB will go directly to the administration (or designated staff member) and could result in suspension or expulsion.  

 

Investigating and Responding to Harassment, Intimidation, and/or Bullying (HIB)

In general, teachers and staff will: 

• Closely supervise students in all areas of the school and playground
• Watch for signs of harassment, intimidation, and/or bullying and intervene appropriately
• Respond quickly and sensitively to HIB reports to ensure the safety of all students involved
• Look into all reported HIB incidents
• Assign consequences for harassment, intimidation, and/or bullying based on our school’s discipline code (see our school’s Hierarchy of Consequences)
• Provide immediate consequences for those who retaliate against students who report harassment, intimidation, and/or bullying 

Students who knowingly making false accusations of harassment, intimidation, and/or bullying will be subject to disciplinary action 

Once a HIB report is received, St. Luke School’s administration will conduct an investigation in a timely manner. If it is determined that harassment, intimidation, and/or bullying has occurred, administration will: 

• Take appropriate disciplinary action (see St. Luke School’s Hierarchy of Consequences)
• Notify student’s teacher(s)
• Notify the family of the student who was the victim of harassment, intimidation, and/or bullying
• Notify the family of the student who did the harassment, intimidation, and/or bullying
• Create a Safety Plan for the victim
• Create a Behavior-Change Plan for the student who harassed, intimidated, and/or bullied

 

Written Records of Harassment, Intimidation, and/or Bullying (HIB)

In general, written records of all HIB incidents and their resolution will be maintained using the following forms: 

 

Form	Action
Student Classroom Behavior Reflection Form(s)	Given to student by teacher/staff member
Incident Report Form (located in the Front Office and Learning Resource Center)	Filled out (often anonymously) and turned into staff member or designated drop-off spot and reviewed daily by Student Life Director
Bullying Report Form (created by the Committee for Children for the Second Step Bullying Prevention Unit)	Filled out by student and Student Life Director (or designated staff member)
Student Safety Plan (created by the Committee for Children for the  Second Step Bullying Prevention Unit)	Filled out by student and Student Life Director (or designated staff member) for the safety of the victim of HIB
Student Behavior-Change Plan (created by the Committee for Children for the  Second Step Bullying Prevention Unit)	Filled out by student and Student Life Director (or designated staff member) for the student who did the HIB

 

In addition, written records of communication between St. Luke School and involved parties may be required.

Communication Plan for Harassment, Intimidation, and/or Bullying (HIB)

HIB prevention information is communicated via: 

• Student Classroom Behavior Reflection Form(s), Incident Report Form, Bullying Report Form, Student Safety Plan, and/or Student Behavior-Change Plan
• Bullying Prevention Unit Online Training
• Staff Meetings
• Teachers to their students
• Bullying Prevention Unit lessons
• Bullying Prevention Unit posters placed in every classroom
• The Student Handbook
• Our school’s website for families and the wider community
• Emails to families

 

Sanctions (Consequences) for Harassment, Intimidation, and/or Bullying (HIB)

There will be consequences and appropriate remedial action for those involved in harassment, intimidation, and/or bullying. The developmental maturity levels of the parties, the levels of harm, the reasons surrounding the incident, the nature of the behaviors, the context in which the alleged incidents occurred, and the past history of the parties involved should be considered when posing consequences. 

 

St. Luke Hierarchy of Consequences

In general and at the discretion of the teacher and/or principal, the following are sample consequences for harassment, intimidation, and/or bullying that has gone beyond what can be directly addressed immediately by the classroom teacher. 

 

	First Report	Second Report	Third Report	Fourth Report
Harassment, Intimidation, and/or Bullying Behaviors including via electronic device	Student Classroom Behavior Reflection Form/Incident Report Form/ Bullying Report Form Conference with teacher, Student Life Director, designated staff member, or principal Re-teach behavioral expectations, rules, and social skills Class behavior chart Weekly check-ins Make amends For property damage: repair, clean, and/or replace Structured recess Loss of privileges (no recess, eat lunch in office, etc.) Restrict in-school use of electronic devices	Student Classroom Behavior Reflection Form/Incident Report Form/Bullying Report Form Conference with teacher, Student Life Director, designated staff member, or principal Behavior Change Plan (Student Safety Plan) Increase check-ins Loss of recess Extend restriction of  in-school use of electronic devices  Comply with archdiocese protocol, depending on the severity of the bullying	Student Classroom Behavior Reflection Form/Incident Report Form/Bullying Report Form Conference with teacher, Student Life Director, designated staff member, or principal Principal modifies Behavior Change Plan and one-on-one or small group intervention sessions (Student Safety Plan) Increase check-ins Extend restriction of  in-school use of electronic devices  Conference/ phone call with principal, guardian, and student Comply with archdiocese protocol, depending on the severity of the bullying In-school suspension	Student Classroom Behavior Reflection Form/Incident Report Form/Bullying Report Form Conference with teacher, Student Life Director, designated staff member, or principal Principal modifies Behavior Change Plan and one-on-one or small group intervention sessions (Student Safety Plan) Increase check-ins Extend restriction of  in-school use of electronic devices  Conference/phone call with principal, guardian, and student Comply with archdiocese protocol, depending on the severity of the bullying In-school or out-of-school suspension plus one-on-one or small group intervention sessions If behavior does not improve the student’s enrollment at the school may result in expulsion.

 

*Some wording adapted from the Second Step Bullying Prevention Unit, © Committee for Children.

Training and Prevention Education for Harassment, Intimidation, and/or Bullying (HIB)

St. Luke School takes a proactive approach to dealing with HIB by providing the following training and prevention education for our students and staff:

• Social skills are a regular part of the curriculum at St. Luke School. The Second Step program and its Bullying Prevention Unit are taught in all grade levels.
• It is the intent that all staff go through the Bullying Prevention Unit Online Training on recognizing and responding to bullying effectively. 
• Staff members are trained and given resources to help create a positive school climate to minimize the likelihood that HIB will occur. 

 

Parent Education and Helpful Websites

1. Pierce Co: Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (HIB)
2. Committee for Children Website – Makers of the Second Step Program and Second Step Bullying Prevention Unit