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Folsom Middle School
Frequently Asked Questions about Bullying
❖ What is bullying?
➢ Bullying is generally repeated over time and involves a real or perceived imbalance of power with more powerful student(s) attacking the less powerful student(s).
❖ Is there a legal definition of bullying?
Bullying is any severe or pervasive physical or verbal act or conduct including, but not limited to:
➢ Written and digital communication that can be reasonably predicted to place a student in fear of harm to that pupil's person or property.
➢ Causing a pupil to experience a substantially detrimental effect on his or her physical, mental health, or interferes with a pupil's academic performance.
➢ Restricting a pupils ability to participate in services, activities or privileges provided by the school.
❖ What can I do if I believe that my child is being bullied at school?
➢ Please contact our school immediately if you believe that your child is being bullied. You may also visit our reporting page here.
❖ I’ve seen text messages and/or videos of students bullying my student. Who should I contact?
➢ Please contact our school immediately if you believe that your child is being bullied. You may also visit our reporting page here.
➢ To assist in our investigation, please screenshot/capture texts, videos and/or images.
❖ What will the school’s response be to my bullying report?
➢ Administration will conduct an investigation that includes acquiring witness statements, interviewing students, and obtaining evidence. Once the investigation is completed, a course of action will be determined. Law enforcement may also be notified depending on the circumstances of the incident.
❖ What disciplinary action may be taken against students that are bullying?
➢ The first offense of bullying may include a warning, detention, notifying law enforcement, a parent conference with administration, and/or up to a three day suspension. Additional offenses of bullying may include the above mentioned consequences, but may also include up to five days of suspension.
❖ When disciplinary action is taken against a student, why doesn’t the school share those consequences with the victim’s family?
➢ The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act is a federal law that protects the privacy of student records. When disciplinary action is taken against a student who is bullying, the details of the incident, including disciplinary action, are added to the student’s records. The confidentiality of those records are protected under the FERPA federal law.
❖ Do bullying incidents increase as students get older?
➢ According to national research, about 28% of students in grades 6-12 report that they have been bullied while 20% of student report being bullied in grades 9-12. (1)
❖ How does Folsom Middle School compare to the national average?
➢ A Fall 2018 survey given to at Folsom Middle School showed that 22.5% of students witnessed or were the victim of bullying.
❖ What proactive efforts is the school making to prevent bullying?
➢ Students receive character education as part of their advisory classes.
➢ Student leadership groups like our Student Council and Where Everyone Belongs (WEB) work collaboratively with school staff to foster positive relationships between students.
➢ The Folsom Police Department met with all students within the first six weeks of school to present information on Internet Safety and the dangers of cyberbullying.
➢ Our school’s Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Committee meets monthly to review school climate data and develop interventions to support students.
➢ Folsom Middle has two full time counselors, one part time counselor, and a full time Marriage and Family Therapist to provide support for students.
➢ Bullying Reports are sent directly to administration and investigated within 24 hours.