Bullying is a serious issue that impacts all school districts. As part of Council Bluff Community School District’s ongoing commitment to creating safe and supportive learning environments for all students, Franklin Elementary is taking several steps to strengthen its work to prevent and reduce bullying behavior.

Olweus Bullying Prevention Program

Franklin Elementary has implemented the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP). Olweus bullying prevention strategies have also been incorporated into all other Council Bluffs Community School District elementary schools. This district-wide approach to bullying prevention is designed to enhance the long-term success of the program by substantially increasing the level of consistency and coordination.
 

What is Bullying?

An important part of this work is clearly defining bullying. Bullying means behavior by an individual student or group of students that is:

1) intimidating, threatening, abusive or harmful;

2) involves an actual or perceived imbalance of power in which the student being bullied has difficulty defending him or herself; and

3) the conduct is repeated or forms a pattern.

Bullying is also behavior that materially and substantially interferes with a student’s educational opportunities, or performance or ability to participate in school functions or activities or receive school benefits, services, or privileges.

Franklin Anti-Bullying Rules

The overarching goal of this initiative is to restructure the school environment in such a way as to markedly reduce both opportunities and rewards for bullying behavior.

We will not bully others.
We will try to help students who are bullied.
We will try to include students who are left out.
If we know that someone is being bullied, we will tell an adult at school and an adult at home.
 

How to Report Bullying

If you believe that your child, or a student you know is being bullied, we want to know!  Franklin Elementary has developed a procedure for students and parents to identify and report bullying behavior.  An online form can be filled out and will be emailed automatically to the principal.  Paper copies of the form are also available in at the office.  Bullying reporting forms can be turned into any staff member at Franklin.  

If you feel additional action needs to take place, Council Bluffs Schools also has a district-wide procedure for identifying and reporting bullying behavior. If you believe that your child, or a student you know is being bullied, please contact the school and ask for the district bullying Screener. A district investigator will come out and assess the situation and report to the parents and the school.

Franklin Elementary Bullying Reporting Form for Parents

Franklin Elementary Bullying Reporting Form for Students

Additional Bullying Prevention Resources

Increasing access to bullying prevention resources for staff, students, families and community members is a continuing part of the district’s bullying prevention work. The following links provide additional information about bullying, bullying prevention and the district’s response to bullying.

- The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program

- Stop Bullying Now!
- PACER’s National Center for Bullying Prevention

- Bullies and Victims: Information for Parents

- Name-Calling and Teasing: Strategies for Parents and Teachers

- What is Bullying?: Articles about Bullying (Committee for Children)

Cyber Bullying

Cyberbullying is bullying through e-mail, instant messaging, in a chat room, on a website or through digital messages or images sent to a cell phone. A recent study of 3,767 middle school students showed that 18% had been cyberbullied at least once in the last 2 months (girls twice as many times than boys) and that 11% had cyberbullied others at least once (girls somewhat more than boys).

The following websites offer tips and other useful information for students, parents and educators on how to respond to this increasingly common form of bullying.

- Cyberbullying

- A Parent’s Guide to Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats

- An Educator’s Guide to Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats