Bullying Prevention Month: What Bensalem Schools Do

BENSALEM, PA — October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and schools are putting emphasis on efforts to stop bullying. That includes the Bensalem Township School District, which has policies and programs in place to prevent the troubling behavior.

The district's policy on bullying states that it is "committed to providing all students with a safe and civil school environment in which all members of the school community are treated with dignity and respect."

Students who are bullied, the policy states "may not be able to take full advantage of the educational opportunities offered by the school district."

The policy requires that students be informed annually that traditional bullying and cyberbullying of students or staff will not be tolerated. The policy covers while students are on campus, on school vehicles, while engaging in school activities and even while away from school "if the misconduct directly affects the health and safety of students and staff as well as the good order, efficient management and welfare of the district."

The policy calls for bullying reports to be investigated promptly and also includes consequences for making a false report of bullying.

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Anyone who engages in bullying is subject to appropriate discipline under the policy. Those consequences are up to each school's principal and may include:

• a conference with the student
• a referral for counseling or conflict mediation
• a conference with parents
• detention, suspension or expulsion
• a loss of school privileges or exclusion from school-sponsored activities

A principal may also do things like separate and supervise the students involved, provide employee support for students and report the incident to law enforcement.

The district's policy also focuses on preventing bullying in the first place.

It says support will be provided to help schools develop bullying prevention programs. Those may include annual anonymous student and staff surveys and classroom and school-wide strategies to promote positive behavior.

Among the marquee National Bullying Prevention Month activities is Unity Day, observed on Wednesday, Oct. 24, when everyone is encouraged to wear and show orange to send a message that no child should ever experience bullying.

"Orange provides a powerful, visually compelling expression of solidarity," Paula Goldberg, the executive director of the PACER Center, said in a statement. "Whether it's hundreds of individuals at a school wearing orange, store owners offering orange products or a community changing a landmark to orange, the vibrant statement becomes a conversation starter, sending the supportive, universal message that bullying is never acceptable behavior."

Here's more about Unity Day:

We want to hear from you. Do you have a story to tell about bullying or cyberbullying, a suggestion about how to stem it or an event to publicize? Comment at the end of the story, or email doug.gross@patch.com and copy bullies@patch.com.