Salem School Board Amends Bullying Policy

SALEM, NH — The Salem School Board has adopted changes to its policy regarding violence and bullying. The amended policy establishes safer ways to report incidences and aims to establish the same training for all staff in regard to how to handle the reports. The changes will be in effect starting this fall.

The School Board adopted the changes to the Pupil Safety and Violence Prevention policy during its June 11 meeting. The last time the policy was changed was nine years ago, and it was due for an update, Superintendent Michael Delahanty said. The policy update was prompted after concern by a parent this past school year about a bullying situation and how it was handled in the School District, he said.

As part of the changes, the School District will develop an anonymous method to report bullying incidents. A child may report a bullying incident to a teacher, principal, guidance counselor, or any adult that the child trusts. Staff throughout the district will undergo training at least once a year to establish uniform procedures for responding to bullying reports. Additional training throughout the school year will take place as necessary, said Delahanty.

The amended policy also includes follow-up procedures to check on students who have been victimized, as well as prevention and intervention procedures focusing on those who are suspected bullies. Consequences for bullies is not solely disciplinary punishment; rather, the policy focuses on intervening to ensure incidences to not repeat. Monitoring victims who are being bullied is also one of the options laid out in the newly changed policy.

The new policy will be distributed electronically to all parents of children in the Salem School District early this fall, according to Delahanty.

He said the district is also working with a student graphic design artist on "See Something, Say Something" posters as part of the anti-bullying campaign coming at the start of the school year this fall.