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Jul 28, 2008 3:15 pm US/Eastern
Broward Passes State's First Anti-Bullying Policy
The Fla. DOE Will Use Policy As Model For Other 66 School Districts
BROWARD (CBS4) ―
Students in Broward County have a new weapon against bullies. The Broward County School Board has approved the first school district Anti-Bullying Policy in Florida.
The policy, which was adopted on July 22, is Florida's most comprehensive; and contains a full list of prohibited forms of harassment, bullying and discrimination.
It was designed by the District's Office of Prevention Programs and Student Support Services, under the Safe Schools Healthy Students Grant initiative.
The Florida Department of Education will utilize the new policy as a model for the state's other 66 school districts. The policy was developed prior to the passage of House Bill 669, which mandates that all districts in the state adopt Anti-Bullying policies by December 1, 2008.
The District's Anti-Bullying Policy specifically prohibits bullying of or by any District student or employee, with consequences for those acts that meet the definition of bullying as defined in the policy:
"Bullying" means systematically and chronically inflicting physical hurt or psychological distress on one or more students or employees.
The policy sets forth guidelines for the identification and reporting of bullying - as the overall goal of the initiative is the protection of students and their increased feelings of safety and belonging. The policy requires teachers and staff to utilize a variety of prevention and intervention activities and includes tools and resources that create environments of safety and respect and expectations of appropriate behavior.
The Florida Legislature adopted an anti-bullying, including cyber-bullying, law on April 2008. The law is called
"Jeffrey Johnston Stand Up for All Students Act", named after Jeffrey Johnston, a 15-year-old boy who committed suicide after being the object of bullying, including Internet bullying, for two years.
This new Florida law prohibits bullying and harassment of any public K-12 student or employee, and requires public schools to adopt measures to protect students and employees from the physical and psychological effects of bullying and harassment.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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