Know Your Child’s Rights

Working with the school

• Keep a written record of all bullying incidents that your child reports to you.
• Record the names of the children involved, where, when and what happened.
• Immediately ask to meet with your child’s classroom teacher and explain your concerns.
• Ask the teacher how they will address the bullying.
• Seek out the school counselor if your child exhibits stress.
• Set up a follow up appointment with the teacher to discuss progress.
• If there is no improvement after reporting bullying to your child’s teacher, speak with the school principal.
• Keep notes from your meetings with teachers and administrators.

What can you expect staff at your child’s school to do about bullying?

• School staff investigates the bullying immediately.
• Notification of what actions will be taken.
• An information gathering meeting with your child and then with the bully.
• A joint meeting with your child and the child who bullied them should Never happen.

Interacting with the school’s staff

• Allow reasonable time to investigate and hear both sides of the story.
• If bullying continues, write to the school’s principal and include evidence from your notes to back up your complaint.
• If you are not satisfied with their responsiveness, write to your school superintendent for assistance.
• Be persistent. You may need to keep speaking out about bullying.

When should law enforcement become involved?

• If another child has physically assaulted your child or is seriously threatening them with bodily injury.
• If the problem persists or escalates, and your school officials are unable to stop the bullying you may want to consult an attorney.
• Ask the school to keep a written record of all offenses committed against your child in case law enforcement officials need the information for further complaints.