PACER Handouts

• Notifying the School About Bullying – Using a Template Letter (View as a handout)

  Parents should contact school staff each time their child informs them that he or she has been bullied.  PACER Center has created template letters that parents may use as a guide for writing a letter to their child’s school.  These letters contain standard language and “fill in the blank” spaces so the letter can be customized for your child’s situation.

  • Notifying the School About A Bullying Situation (Word Doc | Pdf)
  • When the bullying is based on the child’s disability, federal laws can also apply under Section 504, Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008(ADAAA).
  • Version for a Student with a 504 Plan (Word Doc | Pdf)
  • Version for a Student with an IEP Plan (Word Doc | Pdf)

  PACER Center’s sample letter(s) can serve two purposes.

  • First, the letter will alert school administration of the bullying and your desire for interventions against the bullying.
  • Second, the letter can serve as your written record when referring to events. The record (letter) should be factual and absent of opinions or emotional statements.

  For a complete listing of state laws, visit the interactive map on the OLWEUS website at http://www.olweus.org/public/bullying_laws
  

  Data is important.  Remember, if it is not in writing, it does not exist.  Please be sure to keep a copy of the letter(s) for your records.  These records can help parents keep a concise, accurate timeline of events. These sample letters are general in nature in order to serve all potential users. 
  

  Please contact PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center for more specific guidance regarding your particular circumstances. 

• Student Action Plan Against Bullying

  Are you an educator working with a student being bullied, a parent looking for ways to help your child change their behavior, or a student who wants to take action against bullying, but isn’t sure what to do? As a student, bullying is something that impacts you, your peers, and your school – whether you’re the target of bullying, a witness, or the person who bullies. Bullying can end, but that won’t happen unless students, parents, and educators work together and take action.

  The first step is to create a plan that works for you and your situation. This student action plan is an opportunity for you – either on your own or with your parents and teachers – to develop a strategy to change what’s happening to you or someone else. It’s your chance to make a difference.
  

  To get started, download the PDF and create your own plan to take action against bullying.

• Common Views about Bullying

  In spite of the significant impact that bullying can have on a target, it often continues to be viewed as acceptable behavior. There are many misperceptions that adults may have about bullying, all of which can lead to minimizing the behavior. Learn more about responses such as “boys will be boys” or “it’s only teasing”.

• Drama: Is It Happening to You?

  Drama. Bullying. Teasing. Harassment. No matter what you call it, it hurts. If you’re pushed, hit, or your things are ripped off or trashed, it can hurt physically. If you’re ignored by friends or cruel things are posted about you online, it can hurt emotionally. If it happens to you, you’ve probably asked yourself, “Why me?” You know how painful it is to be treated this way. So seriously, what can you do? A lot! Learn how.

• IEP and Bullying

  Students with disabilities who are eligible for special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) will have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The IEP can be a helpful tool in a bullying prevention plan.

• Is Your Child Being Bullied in CyberSpace?

  If the word “bullying” makes you think of one child picking on another in the schoolyard, it is time to update your image of how students bully. While the face-to-face harassment certainly still exists, new ways of bullying have emerged that can be particularly harmful to children. With the easy access to cell phones, instant messaging, mobile devices, social networking websites, and other technologies, bullying has found its way into cyberspace.

• Notifying School Administrators

  Ten steps for a parent to take in reporting bullying to the school.

• Record Keeping and Bullying

  When a child is a target of bullying, parents need to document the events and develop a record (or history) of what is happening to their child. This record is useful when talking with school educators, law enforcement personnel, or other individuals who may need to assist parents in intervening against bullying. Data is important. Remember – if it is not in writing, it does not exist.

• Steps To Take If Your Child Is Being Bullied At School

  A guide containing three steps to take when your child is being bullied at school; work with your child, work with the school and work with district administration.

• Talk to Your Child About Bullying

  Parents can prepare themselves to talk with their children by considering how they are going to handle their child’s questions and emotions. They can also decide what information they would like to give their child about bullying

• Telling Classmates About Your Child's Disability May Foster Acceptance

  One of the best ways to teach children about a disability is to talk to them at school. For many families, presenting at school is an annual event. Sometimes, an IEP team writes it into a child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) document.

• What If Your Child IS the Bully?

  The word “bullying” often conjures up an image of a schoolyard scene, with a big, intimidating student towering over a small, cowering child. That’s just one face of bullying—and of children who bully. Another face of a bully might be…that of your child. Surprised? Many parents are. Often they have no idea that their child is harassing other children. Yet knowing the facts—and acting to change the situation—is vitally important in making the future safer for your child and all children.

• Other Handouts

  Bullying and Disability Harassment in the Workplace: What Youth Should Know

  This InfoBrief was developed by PACER Center in partnership with the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth. The InfoBrief is designed to help youth, including youth with disabilities, recognize signs of bullying in the workplace. It offers examples of bullying situations at work and strategies to help address the issue. Much is understood about the negative consequences of bullying at school, but youth should also be made aware that bullying does not always end at school and is often encountered at work.