1. Bullying 101: Everything you need to
know about bullying in NJ
Presented by:
Ron Shuali
www.ShuaLife.com
732-777-1326

2. Harrassment, Intimidation or
Bullying (HIB)
Harassment, intimidation or bullying
means any gesture, any written, verbal,
or physical act, or any electronic
communication whether it be a single
incident or a series of incidents, that is
reasonably perceived as being
motivated either by any actual or
perceived characteristic, such as:
Page 9, Line 44 - 48

3. Examples of HIB Characteristics
• Race • Gender Identity &
Expression
• Color
• Religion • Mental, Physical or
Sensory Disability
• Ancestry
• National Origin • Or any other
distinguishing
• Gender characteristic
• Sexual Orientation
Page 9, Line 48

4. HIB Continued
The incident can take place on school
property, at any school-sponsored
function, on a school bus or off
school grounds that substanially
disrupts or interferes with the orderly
operation of the school or the rights
of other students…
Page 10, Line 3-8

5. HIB Continued
And that: A reasonable person should
know, under the circumstances, will
have the effect of physically or
emotionally harming a student or
damaging the student’s property, or
placing a student in reasonable fear of
physical or emotional harm to his
person or damage to his property.
Page 10, Line 9-13

6. HIB Continued
OR
 Has the effect of insulting or demeaning any
student or group of students
OR
 Creates a hostile educational environment for
the student
OR
 By interfering with a student’s education or
by severely or pervasively causing physical
or emotional harm to the student
Page 10, Line 14-22

7. HIB Continued
Nothing contained in the Anti-
Bullying Bill of Rights Act shall alter
or reduce the rights of a student with
a disability with the regard to
disciplinary actions or to general or
special educational services and
supports.
Page 22, Line 21. Federal law
supercedes all state law as in
the above disability

8. Code of Conduct
 Conduct which shall constitute good cause
for suspension or expulsion of a pupil
guilty of such conduct shall now include
harassment, intimidation and bullying.
Page 9, Lines 7-9 & 35
 A public institution of higher education
shall adopt a policy to be included in its
student code of conduct prohibiting
harassment, intimidation, or bullying.
Page 21, Lines 14-17

9. Policy/Procedure
 A school district’s policy on HIB shall include
provisions for appropriate responses to HIB
that occur off school grounds in cases in
which a school employee is made aware of
such actions. Page 16, Line 19
 Provides a detailed procedure that must be
included in each district’s policy concerning
the investigation of incidents of HIB.
Pg 11, Line 4-37

10. A school employee or contracted
service provider MUST notify a
principal verbally the day of the
incident and file a written report with
the school principal within two days
of observing or being made aware of
an act of HIB.
Page 11, Line 10-15

11. HIB reporting process
HIB Incident
occurs
School Employee or
Contracted Service
Provider
Principal Parent
ABS
Superintendent
Page 11, Line 4 to Page
12, Line 43
Board of Education

12. HIB incident
occurs
Witness Verbal report to Gives school
principal on the principal a
same day when it is
written report
witnessed or
reliable information within 2 days of
is given incident.
Page 11, Line 4 - 7

13. Initiates
School investigation
After the
investigation is
through ABS within
complete, a report is
Principal 1 day.
given to the
ABS has 10 days to superintendent
complete the within 2 days
investigation after
receipt of written
Inform the parents/ report.
guardians of all A parent may
students involved, Parents are entitled request a hearing
the same day as to receive with the Board of
the verbal report information about the Education which
and may discuss investigation within 5 shall be held
counseling or other days after it is sent to within 10 days of
interventions. Board of Ed. the request
Page 11, Line 7 – 15, 30 – 44
Page 12, Line 11 - 22

14. May provide
interventions, Must report the
counseling or investigation to the
Superintendent additional training Board of Education by
to reduce HIB or the next BOE meeting,
take/recommend including actions that
other appropriate took place.
action
Board of Education shall issue a
decision to affirm, reject or
modify the superintendent's
decision. The board’s decision
may be appealed to the
Commissioner of Education.
Page 11, Line 47 – Page 12, Line 10
Page 12, Line 29 -33

15. A school administrator who fails to
initiate or conduct an investigation of
an incident, or who should have
known of an incident and fails to take
action, is subject to discipline
Page 14, Line 34

16. Department of Education
The Department of Education, in consultation
with the Division of Civil Rights in the Dept. of
Law and Public Safety shall develop a guidance
document for use by parents/guardians,
students and school districts to assist in
resolving complaints concerning student
harassment, intimidation or bullying behaviors.
Page 19, Line 1-7
The document shall include best practices for the
prevention, intervention, and remediation of
harassment, intimidation or bullying in schools,
including methods to identify and assist student
populations at high risk for harassment,
intimidation or bullying.
Page 19, Line 11-14

17. Department of Education
The Commissioner of Education shall
establish a formal protocol pursuant to
which the office of the executive county
superintendent of schools shall
investigate a complaint that documents
an allegation of a violation… by a school
district located within the county, when
the complaint has not been adequately
addressed on the local level.
Page 19, Line 28 - 37

18. Reprisals and Retaliation
A member of the board of education,
school employee, student or volunteer
shall not engage in reprisal, retaliation
or false accusation against a victim,
witness or one with reliable information
about an act of HIB
Page 14, Line 14

19. Responsibility
A member of a board of education, school
employee, contracted service provider,
student or volunteer who has witnessed,
or has reliable information that a student
has been subject to HIB shall report the
incident to the appropriate school official
designated by the school district’s policy
Page 14, line 18-25

20. Bullying Prevention Fund
The Department of Education will
create the “Bullying Prevention
Fund” to be used to fund grants to
school districts to provide training
on HIB prevention and on effective
means to create a positive climate
Page 20, Line 33

21. Superintendent
 The superintendent of schools shall report to the
Board of Education and Department of Education
twice a year…at a public hearing all acts of
violence, vandalism and HIB Page 7, Line 14-18
 The superintendent in each school district
shall appoint a district anti-bullying
coordinator and sets forth responsibilities
of that individual
Page 17, Line 1

22. The Anti-Bullying Coordinator shall
 Providedata, in collaboration with
the superintendent of schools, to the
Department of Education regarding
HIB of students Page 17, Line 12
 Executesuch other duties related to
school HIB as requested by the
superintendent of schools
Page 17, Line 15

23. The Anti-Bullying Coordinator shall
 Be responsible for coordinating and
strengthening the school district’s policies to
prevent, identify, and address harassment,
intimidation, and bullying of students
Page 17, Line 5
 Collaborate with school anti-bullying specialists
in the district, the board of education, and the
superintendent of schools to prevent, identify,
and respond to HIB of students in the district
Page 17, Line 8

24. Anti-Bullying
Specialist
Provides that the principal in each public
school shall appoint the currently
employed school guidance counselor,
school psychologist or another similarly
trained individual as the school anti-
bullying specialist.
Page 16, Line 33

25. The Anti-Bullying Specialist
shall
 Chair the school safety team
 Lead the investigation of incidents of HIB
in the school
 Act as the primary school official
responsible for preventing, identifying and
addressing incidents of HIB in the school
Page 16, Line 42 - 48

26. School Safety Team
Each district shall form a school
safety team in each school to
foster and maintain a positive
school climate and shall meet at
least two times a year.
Page 17, Line 25 - 31

27. School Safety Team
A school safety team shall consist of the principal or
his designee who, if possible, shall be a senior
administrator in the school and the following
appointees of the principal:
•A teacher in the school
•A school anti-bullying specialist
•A parent of a student in the school
•Other members to be determined by the principal
Page 17, Line 32 - 38

28. School Safety Team
 Receive complaints of HIB of students that
have been reported to the principal
 Receive copies of any report prepared after an
investigation of an incident of HIB
 Identify and address patterns of HIB of
students in the schools
 Review and strengthen school climate and the
policies of the school in order to prevent and
address HIB if students
Page 17, Line 39 - 48

29. School Safety Team
 Educate the community, including students, teachers,
administrative staff and parents to prevent and address
harassment, intimidation or bullying of students.
 Shall be provided professional development opportunities
that address effective practices of successful school
climate programs or approaches
 Participate in the training required pursuant to the
provisions the principal or the district anti-bullying
coordinator may request
Page 18, Line 1 –6

30. Schools
 Requires school districts to establish bullying
prevention programs or approaches which shall be
designed to create school-wide conditions to prevent
and address HIB.
Page 14, Line 44 – Page 15, Line 2
 Designates the week beginning with the first Monday
in October of each year as a “Week of Respect” and
requires the school district observe the week by
providing age- appropriate instruction focusing on
preventing HIB
Page 20, Line 45

31. Training
2012-2013
 All candidates for school administrator or teacher
certification will be required to complete a
program on harassment, intimidation or bullying.
Page 18, Line 23 & 42
 School board members within one year of being
newly elected or appointed or being re-elected or
reappointed shall receive training on HIB.
Page 6, Line 40 - 45

32. Training
The training course for Safe Schools Resource
Officers and public school employees assigned
by the board of education to serve as a school
liaison to law enforcement shall include training
in the protection of students from HIB,
including incidents which occur through
electronic communication.
Page 15, Line 40 - 42

33. Suicide Prevention
 Training on Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying
(HIB) be a part of the training required for public
school staff members in suicide prevention.
 The instruction in suicide prevention shall include
information on the relationship between the risk of
suicide and incidents of HIB and information on
reducing the risk of suicide in students who are
members of communities identified as having
members at high risk of suicide.
Page 5, Line 6 - 11

34. Employment
Adds a conviction of “bias intimidation” to
the list of crimes for which a person may be
disqualified for employment in a school.
Page 4, Line 9

35. School Report Card
 Includes
data identifying the number
and nature of all reports of HIB
 The report will be used to grade e
schools and districts be in their
efforts to implement policies and
programs consistent with the “Anti-
Bullying Bill of Rights Act”
Page 7, Line 22 - 40

36. EFFECTS OF BULLYING ON VICTIMS
 Academic
– Truancy, tardiness, low grades
 Health Problems
– Loss of appetite, stomach aches,
headaches, loss of sleep
 Psychological Issues
– Emotional distress, low self esteem,
depression, anxiety, loneliness,
suicidal or homicidal ideations
(extreme)

37. BULLYING IS ILLEGAL AND CRIMINAL!
 Taking lunch $$ or other property
=THEFT – EXTORTION
 Physical Abuse
= ASSUALT
 Verbal Abuse
= HARRASSMENT

38. NJ LAW
 Synopsis: 2002 New Jersey Laws, AB 1874, Requires
each school district to adopt a policy prohibiting
harassment, intimidation or bullying on school
property, at a school-sponsored function or on a
school bus. The policy must include a definition of
bullying behavior, consequences for engaging in such
behavior, a procedure for investigation of reports of
such behavior, a statement prohibiting retaliation or
reprisal against persons reporting bullying behavior
and consequences for making a false accusation.
Requires school employees, students or volunteers to
report any incidents of bullying, intimidation and
harassment to appropriate school officials. Grants
immunity from any cause of action for damages
arising from a failure to remedy the reported incident
to persons reporting these incidents.

39. Here’s the Real Deal…
 160,000 students miss school every day due to
fear of attack or intimidation by a bully. (Fried &
Fried, 1996)
 Seven percent of 8th graders stay home at least
once a month because of bullies. (Banks, 2000)
 Ten percent of students who drop out of school
do so because of repeated bullying. (Weinhold &
Weinhold, 1998)
About 10 – 15 % of children say they are regularly
bullied. (Banks, 2000)

40. Bullies identified by age eight are six
times more likely to be convicted of a
crime by age 24 and five times more
likely than non-bullies to end up with
serious criminal records by the age of
30. (Maine Project Against Bullying,
2000)
 Sixty percent of students characterized
as bullies in grades 6-9 had at least one
criminal conviction by age 24 (Banks,
2000)

41. FIRST - Recognize the Warning
Signs!!!
A victim of bullying may have...
☹ Frequent crying jags
☹ Recurrent complaints of physical
symptoms such as stomachaches
or headaches with no apparent
cause
☹ Unexplained bruises
☹ Increased passivity or
withdrawal

42. ☹ Sudden drop in grades, or other
learning problems
☹ Not wanting to go to school
☹ Significant changes in social life
no one is calling or extending
invitations
☹ Sudden change in the way your
student/child talks — calling
herself a loser, or a former friend
a jerk

43. STRATEGIES WITH BULLIES
 Non negotiable/Set amount of time
 Correct the Bully’s thinking errors
 Give
brief, clear description of
unacceptable behaviors and
consequences (consistency is key)
 Build empathy for the victim
 Remember – it is not the child that is
unlikable, only their behavior!

44. STRATEGIES WITH VICTIMS
 Use supportive style
 Reduce self-blame through
identification of bully behavior
 Demonstrate compassion and
empathy
 Connect victim to helpful peers (build
a support network)
 Mobilize the bystanders to become
the caring majority in the classroom.

45. NEVER BRING BULLY AND VICTIM
TOGETHER!
This only gives the bully
more ammunition and
validates the bully’s behavior
This type of behavior should
be handled by the adults–
this is not a “kids” problem

46. ESTABLISH A BULLY
PREVENTION ADVISORY
GROUP
 Include administration,
teachers, aides, support
staff, parents, DARE
officer or SRO

47. DETERMINE THE SCOPE OF THE
PROBLEM (SURVEY)
 Informally with K-3rd
- What is teasing vs.
bullying? activity
 Formally with 4th grade
and up

48. USE CLASSROOM LESSONS
 Crucial starting point so
that all students have the
same information and
know what is expected of
them.
 Must be built into the
curriculum and repeated
throughout the year.

49. INVOLVE PARENTS...
o Conduct meetings with
and disseminate information
to parents at the school to
make them aware of the
school's anti-bullying plan of
action.
o All parents and children
should sign off on the policy at
the beginning so there are no
questions later on.

50. INDIVIDUAL-LEVEL INTERVENTIONS
HAVE A SERIOUS TALK WITH THE BULLY
- this should happen immediately!!
 DOCUMENT INVOLVEMENT and participation in
bullying.
 Send a clear, strong message that BULLYING IS NOT
ACCEPTABLE.
 Advise the bully that future BEHAVIOR WILL BE
CLOSELY MONITORED

51.  Expect that the bully will try to minimize and
deny their actions and responsibility. REFER TO
SCHOOL AND CLASS CODES OF CONDUCT
in telling the bully why their behavior was
unacceptable.
 Warn the bully that additional NEGATIVE
CONSEQUENCES WILL BE ADMINISTERED if
bullying behavior does not stop. Follow through
is critical

52. HAVE A SERIOUS TALK WITH THE VICTIM - Talks
with the victim and their parents should occur AS SOON
AS POSSIBLE after a bullying incident and should
happen SEPARATELY FROM THE BULLY.
 DOCUMENT specific bullying episodes. Include how the
bullying started, what happened, how it ended, who
participated, and who witnessed it.
 PROVIDE THE VICTIM WITH INFORMATION about the
teacher's plan of action in dealing with the bully. Reassure
them that all possible steps will be taken to prevent a
recurrence.
 Attempt to PERSUADE THE VICTIM TO IMMEDIATELY
REPORT ANY NEW BULLYING EPISODES to the teacher.

53.  FOLLOW UP IN COMMUNICATING with parents and
with other teachers and administrators about the
situation, until it is clearly resolved. Send copies of all
reports to parents of the students involved and place
them in the students' files.
 CHANGE OF CLASS OR SCHOOL. If anti-bullying
measures are in place and the problem persists despite
these measures, moving the aggressive student can
bring about change. If possible, the aggressive student
should be moved before considering moving the victim.
This solution should not be taken lightly, and all
concerned parents and teachers should plan and
consult with each other.

54. And Most Importantly…
 Teachers, parents and childcare
providers should be aware of their
own behavior all of the time.
 Remember, adults serve as
"models" for students who respect
them and may wish to emulate
them. Likewise, students will not
respect the teacher or classroom
rules against bullying if the teacher
is sarcastic, unfair, or abusive.

55. For More Information on:
Children’s Assemblies:
Bullying, Fitness, Stranger Safety
Professional Development:
Behavior Management, Health and
Wellness, Physical Educators
 Contact Information for Ron Shuali
 Ron@shualife.com
 www.shualife.com
 732.777.1326