Contents of the entire web site do not necessarily represent the official views of MSEPAC, and listing them here does not imply endorsement of any kind. The MSEPAC assumes no responsibility for, or any obligation to monitor the content, privacy practices, operators, availability, accuracy, quality, advertising, products, services, or other materials of these sites.

Massachusetts Bullying Prevention Law

• Descriptions of and statements prohibiting bullying;
• Clear procedures for school staff to report bullying or retaliation;
• Provision for anonymous reports;
• Clear procedures for promptly responding to and investigating reports of bullying or retaliation;
• Range of disciplinary sanctions for perpetrators of bullying or retaliation;
• Clear procedures to address the victim's need for safety;
• Strategies for protecting students who report bullying;
• Procedures for notifying parents or guardians of both victims and perpetrators;
• Procedures for reporting criminal activity to law enforcement;
• Disciplinary provisions for knowingly false reports of bullying;
• Strategies for counseling perpetrators and victims; and
• Provision for ongoing professional development to build skills of all members of school staff.

The new law includes tough restrictions on young people's, not just students, use of any technology to bully another person and the new law includes a prominent role for the Attorney General's Office, along with the Department of Early and Secondary Education, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and other agencies to develop the model plan and to identify the resources in order to create a school climate in which every student feels safe – in and out of school.

The law also gives responsibility to the Attorney General's Office to chair a multi-agency Commission which will conduct a review of related-Massachusetts laws to determine if any additional laws need to be amended to address bullying and/or cyberbullying.

Bullying Prevention & Intervention Resources from DOE of MA

These websites may include content that do not necessarily represent the official views of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Educationand Medway PAC, and listing them here does not imply endorsement of any kind. The Department and Medway PAC assumes no responsibility for, or any obligation to monitor the content, privacy practices, operators, availability, accuracy, quality, advertising, products, services, or other materials of these sites.

Scroll down the page for more information, or select any of the following categories to be brought directly to that point on this page.

1. Model Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan
2. General Department Updates and Information
3. Laws and Regulations
4. Evidence Based Programs, Curricula, and Practices
5. Parent Information
6. Resources from State Agencies
7. Additional Resources
8. Definition of Bullying
9. Social Emotional Learning
10. For more information

1. Model Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan:

The following information and resources may be useful for schools/districts when creating and updating local Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plans.

•   Checklist that can be used at the local level to track if all legislatively required elements are included in the local plan.

•   Model Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan

•   Appendix A: Sample Bullying Prevention and Intervention Incident Reporting Form

•   Guidance on Notifying Parents when a Student has been Bullied Based on Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity/Expression:  Implementation of 603 CMR 49.05

•  Technical Assistance Advisory SPED 2011-2: Bullying Prevention and Intervention

•   Addressing the Needs of Students with Disabilities in the IEP and in School Bullying Prevention and Intervention Efforts.

• School districts, charter schools, Department-approved private* special education schools, and collaborative schools must submit their Model Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plans to the Department by December 31, 2010. These plans must be submitted via the Security Portal's Bullying Prevention and Invention Plan DropBox** or via email to ssces@doe.mass.edu.

  * Other non-public schools (those that are not Department approved special education schools) are required to create Plans, but NOT to submit them to the Department.

  **Entities required to submit Plans may submit information through the new DropBox designed for this purpose, local Directory Administrators must assign the superintendent or his/her designee the "Bullying Prevention and Invention Plan DropBox" role in the Security Portal's Directory Administration area. Once that is done, the superintendent or designee can sign into the portal and see that DropBox listed under DropBox Central. Schools without a Directory Administrator should contact the Department's data collection group at 781-338-3282.

2. General Department Updates and Information:

3. Laws and Regulations:

• An Act Relative to Bullying, Chapter 92 of the Acts of 2010, approved May 3, 2010

• Notification of Bullying or Retaliation Regulations (603 CMR 49.00)

• Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1232g and 34 CFR Part 99

• M.G.L. c. 71, § 37O (School Bullying Prohibited: Bullying Prevention Plans)

• Massachusetts Student Records Regulations, 603 CMR 23.00

• Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, 20 U.S.C. § 1232h and 34 CFR Part 98 Student Rights in Research, Experimental Programs, and Testing

4. Evidence Based Programs, Curricula, and Practices

Please note that the Department will be adding to this list in the near future and that other resources currently listed on this page may contain evidenced based curricula, strategies, and practices. At no time should this list be considered exhaustive, as other programs and practices may exist that are not posted here. Also note that while some evidence based programs and practices that address school climate and culture, as well as students' social and emotional wellbeing, may not have been evaluated for bullying prevention effectiveness, they should be considered as part of a district's approach to creating safe and healthy learning environments. Each district needs to determine what curricula and strategies are most appropriate for each school and grade, taking into account developmental stages and other factors.

The following bullying prevention and intervention programs, curricula, and practices are research/evidence based, as identified by the Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast and Islands at EDC, at the request of the Department. Additional items will be posted over the next few weeks and months.

• Aggressors, Victims, and Bystanders

• Al's Pals: Kids Making Healthy Choices

• Bullying Prevention Program (Olweus)

• Bully Proofing Series

• Michigan Model for Comprehensive School Health Education

• PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies)

• Peacebuilders

• Steps to Respect

Other organizations that have identified evidenced based bullying prevention and intervention efforts include (but are not necessarily limited to) the following:

• Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science at the University of Colorado at Boulder

• National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP) is a searchable database of interventions to help people, agencies, and organization implement practices and programs in their communities.

• The Promising Practices Network is a unique resource that offers credible, research-based information on what works to improve the lives of children and families.

5. Parent Information:

Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater State College publishes research on bullying and cyberbullying, resources on bullying prevention for parents, and resources for educators and professionals. The following links to resources on bullying prevention for parents are being posted in collaboration with the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater State College:

6. Resources from State Agencies:

• Berkshire County District Attorney's Office:

  • Bullying Prevention Initiative, offers various educational presentations for students, staff, and parents

  • Bullying and Harassment

  • Internet Safety

• Direct from the Field: A Guide to Bullying Prevention , by Laura Parker-Roerden, David Rudewick and Donald Gorton: A Joint Project of the Governor's Task Force on Hate Crimes, the Massachusetts Commission on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth, and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health

• Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education:

  • 6/24/10 Associate Commissioner John Bynoe's Presentation, at the Preparing For the New Bullying Prevention Law: A Day for Administrators Conferences 
    

  • Learning Support Services:: Safe and Drug Free Schools

  • Program Quality Assurance (PQA) Services: Complaints regarding a school or district not responding appropriately to bullying allegations may be investigated through the PQA Problem Resolution System.

• Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) bullying resources

• Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General:

  • Cyberbullying

• Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries posts links to state laws and other resources on bullying and cyberbullying

7. Additional Resources:

• Anti-Defamation League: A World of Difference Institute, A Classroom of Difference addresses diversity issues in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade school communities

• Center for Disease Control Measuring Bullying Victimization, Perpetration, and Bystander Experiences: A Compendium of Assessment Tools

• Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL)

• The Cyberbullying Research Center is dedicated to providing up-to-date information about the nature, extent, causes, and consequences of cyberbullying among adolescents.

• CyberSmart! Cyberbullying Package, under partnership with National School Board Association's Technology Leadership Network

• Federation of Children with Special Needs, article Vulnerable Targets: Students with Disabilities and Bullying

• The Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention Steering Committee has partnered with the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs to share information the federal government has prepared to help prevent and address bullying in communities.

• Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network: Anti-Bullying Resources

• The Hamilton Fish Institute on School and Community Violence at the George Washington University

• Jane Doe Inc. Voices for Change: The Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence - Seek Support and Safety

• Massachusetts Advocates for Children works to ensure that children affected by family violence succeed in school. The Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative (TLPI) activities include outreach to parents and professionals, coalition building, policy analysis and report writing, case advocacy, and legislative and administrative advocacy

• Medline Plus: Bullying, a service of the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health

• Mental Health America's Factsheet: Bullying and Gay Youth

• National Criminal Justice Reference Service, U.S. Department of Justice, Internet Safety Information

• National School Safety Center

• Pacer Center, National Center for Bullying Prevention

• Resources on discrimination and harassment

• STRYVE: Striving to Reduce Youth Violence Everywhere

• U.S. Department of Education Safe and Supportive Schools Technical Assistance Center

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Stop Bullying Now Campaign

8. Definition of Bullying:

"Bullying" for the purposes of requirements related to Chapter 92 of the Acts of 2010 legislation is defined as the following:

The repeated use by one or more students [aggressor(s)] of a written, verbal or electronic expression or a physical act or gesture or any combination thereof, directed at a target that: (i) causes physical or emotional harm to the target or damage to the target's property; (ii) places the target in reasonable fear of harm to him/herself or of damage to his/her property; (iii) creates a hostile environment at school for the target; (iv) infringes on the rights of the target at school; or (v) materially and substantially disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a school. For the purposes of requirements related to this law, bullying shall include cyber-bullying. See section 5 of the legislation for more details on the definition of cyber-bullying and more.

9. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)

Coming Soon: Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Guidelines for the Implementation of Social and Emotional Learning Curricula.

Additional Resources:

The following websites include information and materials that may be useful for development and implementation of SEL at the school and district level.

• Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning. The Center is focused on promoting the social emotional development and school readiness of young children birth to age 5.

• CNY Social Emotional Learning Institute. The Institute supports programming for whole school communities by helping educators meet the highest standards of social and emotional learning and educational achievement.

• Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL): Safe and Sound, an Educational Leader's Guide to Evidence Based social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Programs. Also from CASEL: Connecting Social and Emotional Learning with Mental Health, guidance that addresses the implementation of social emotional development in schools while promoting the mental health of all students.

• Edutopia focuses on what works in education and is dedicated to improving the K-12 learning process.

• National Prevention Center for Mental Health and Youth Violence: Social Emotional Learning and Bullying Prevention.

•   National School Climate Center, National School Climate Standards. The National School Climate Center promotes positive and sustained school climate: a safe, supportive environment that nurtures social and emotional, ethical, and academic skills.

• The Office of Special Education Programs.  Reducing the Effectiveness of Bullying in Schools. This school based center give schools capacity-building information and technical assistance for identifying, adapting, and sustaining effective school-wide disciplinary practices.

• Rutgers Social Emotional Learning Lab. The group's primary focus is school-based social and emotional learning, and its projects address SEL research and assessment, educator preparation, and policy development.

• Social Development Research Group, University of Washington:  Social Emotional Learning Assessment Measures for Middle School Youth. This resource identifies valid, reliable and useable school-wide assessments for social/emotional well-being of youth and helps schools and districts identify tools that could be useful in determining the success of programs.

• University of Arkansas. The College of Education and Health Professions focuses on teacher development and skill training in Social Emotional Learning for age 3-5 year olds.

• University of Illinois at Chicago: Social Emotional Learning Research Group. The group's primary focus is school-based social and emotional learning, and its projects address SEL research and assessment, educator preparation, and policy development.