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Bully prevention protocol
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District 60 strives to protect the emotional and physical well-being of every student, and in the case of bullying, it’s important that the subject of bullying is talked about in a constructive way, for the ultimate benefit of all parties involved.
One way to do that is by using “solution teams” and a “panel of peers” to address situations of bullying in a safe and open way. Solution teams and a panel of peers are the main tools to resolve a bullying situation in a positive fashion.
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What is a "solution team"?
Each District 60 school has a “solution team” of teachers, counselors and other staff that are trained in bullying prevention and intervention. Additionally, each District 60 school has a bullying prevention specialist that plays a lead role in assembling solution teams.
Once an instance of bullying is reported, the solution team sets up a meeting that includes the bully, the target, members of the students’ friend groups, and sometimes student leaders. During this non-confrontational “panel of peers,” the students discuss possible solutions to address the bullying situation. The solution team will lead as many as three student peer panels to help confront and solve the situation.
Learn more about this approach to bully intervention at the No Bully website.
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What is a "panel of peers"?
A few decades ago, school counselors may have invited a bully and their target to have a private discussion about the incident, which had good intentions, but sometimes made many targets fear possible retribution.
Instead, a “panel of peers” consisting of the bully, their target(s), members of their friend circle and sometimes student leaders, come together to talk about bullying under the direction of an adult-led “solution team.” The peer panel format brings the bully to the table without knowledge of who made a report, and the issue is addressed in a positive way so that the bully doesn’t feel cornered, either.
The “panel of peers” helps provide intervention into the specific instance of bullying, but it also helps prevent bullying throughout the school by creating a positive, open dialogue about bullying.
