Renewed 08/15/2022 

Bullying, intimidation, and harassment diminish a student’s ability to learn and a school’s ability to  educate. Preventing students from engaging in these disruptive behaviors and providing all  students equal access to a safe, non-hostile learning environment are important school goals. Bullying on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, military status, unfavorable  discharge status from the military service, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender-related  identity or expression, ancestry, age, religion, physical or mental disability, order of protection  status, status of being homeless, or actual or potential marital or parental status, including  pregnancy, association with a person or group with one or more of the aforementioned actual or  perceived characteristics, or any other distinguishing characteristic is prohibited in each of the  following situations: 

1. During any school-sponsored education program or activity. 

2. While in school, on school property, on school buses or other school vehicles, at  designated school bus stops waiting for the school bus, or at school-sponsored or school  sanctioned events or activities. 

3. Through the transmission of information from a school computer, a school computer  network, or other similar electronic school equipment. 

4. Through the transmission of information from a computer that is accessed at a  nonschool-related location, activity, function, or program or from the use of technology or  an electronic device that is not owned, leased, or used by the school if the bullying  causes a substantial disruption to the educational process or orderly operation of a  school. This paragraph (item #4) applies only when a school administrator or teacher  receives a report that bullying through this means has occurred; it does not require staff  members to monitor any nonschool-related activity, function, or program. 

Pertinent Definitions: 

Bullying includes cyberbullying and means any severe or pervasive physical or verbal act or  conduct, including communications made in writing or electronically, directed toward a student or  students that has or can be reasonably predicted to have the effect of one or more of the  following: 

1. Placing the student or students in reasonable fear of harm to the student’s or students’ 

person or property; 

2. Causing a substantially detrimental effect on the student’s or students’ physical or mental  health; 

3. Substantially interfering with the student’s or students’ academic performance; or 

4. Substantially interfering with the student’s or students’ ability to participate in or benefit  from the services, activities, or privileges provided by a school. 

Cyberbullying means bullying through the use of technology or any electronic communication,  including without limitation any transfer of signs, signals, writing, images, sounds, data, or  intelligence of any nature transmitted in whole or in part by a wire, radio, electromagnetic system,  photo-electronic system, or photo-optical system, including without limitation electronic mail,  Internet communications, instant messages, or facsimile communications. Cyberbullying includes  the creation of a webpage or weblog in which the creator assumes the identity of another person  or the knowing impersonation of another person as the author of posted content or messages if  the creation or impersonation creates any of the effects enumerated in the definition ofbullying. Cyberbullying also includes the distribution by electronic means of a communication to more than  one person or the posting of material on an electronic medium that may be accessed by one or  more persons if the distribution or posting creates any of the effects enumerated in the definition  of bullying. 

Restorative measures means a continuum of school-based alternatives to exclusionary discipline,  such as suspensions and expulsions, that: (i) are adapted to the particular needs of the school  and community, (ii) contribute to maintaining school safety, (iii) protect the integrity of a positive  and productive learning climate, (iv) teach students the personal and interpersonal skills they will  need to be successful in school and society, (v) serve to build and restore relationships among students, families, schools, and communities, and (vi) reduce the likelihood of future disruption by  balancing accountability with an understanding of students’ behavioral health needs in order to  keep students in school, (vii) increase student accountability if the incident of bullying is based on  religion, race, ethnicity, or any other category that is identified in the Illinois Human Rights Act. 

School personnel means persons employed by, on contract with, or who volunteer in a school,  including without limitation school and school administrators, teachers, and staff. 

Making a Complaint; Enforcement 

Students are encouraged to report claims or incidences of bullying or harassment to the Principal,  Children’s House Program Director, Elementary Program Director, or Chief Operating Officer. A  student may choose to report to a person of the student’s same sex. Complaints will be kept  confidential to the extent possible given the need to investigate. 

An allegation that a student was a victim of any prohibited conduct perpetrated by another  student shall be referred to the Principal for appropriate action.

Bullying Prevention and Response Plan 

The Principal or designee shall develop and maintain a bullying prevention and response plan  that advances the school’s goal of providing all students with a safe learning environment free of bullying and harassment. This plan must be consistent with the requirements listed below; each  numbered requirement, 1-12, corresponds with the same number in the list of required policy  components in 105 ILCS 5/27-23.7(b) 1-12. 

1. The School uses the definition of bullying as provided in this policy. (Note that many  behaviors that do not rise to the level or harassment or bullying may still be prohibited by  School rules. Students and parents should be familiar with the school’s rules governing  student conduct.) 

2. Bullying is contrary to State law and the policy of this school. However, nothing in the  school’s bullying prevention and response plan is intended to infringe upon any right to  exercise free expression or the free exercise of religion or religiously based views  protected under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution or under Section 3 of  Article I of the Illinois Constitution. 

3. Students are encouraged to immediately report bullying. A report may be made orally or  in writing to the Principal or any staff member with whom the student is comfortable  speaking. Anyone, including staff members and parents/guardians, who has information  about actual or threatened bullying is encouraged to report it to the Principal or any staff  member. Anonymous reports are also accepted. 

Principal: Ben Blair 

Address: 1800 West Balmoral Ave.  

Email: bblair@rpmschool.org 

Telephone: 773-271-1700 

4. Consistent with federal and State laws and rules governing student privacy, the Principal  (Chief Executive Officer) or designee shall promptly inform the parent(s)/guardian(s) of  every student involved in an alleged incident of bullying and discuss, as appropriate, the  availability of social work services, counseling, school psychological services, other  interventions, and restorative measures. 

5. The Principal (Chief Executive Officer) or designee shall promptly investigate and  address reports of bullying, by, among other things: 

a. Making all reasonable efforts to complete the investigation within 10 school  days after the date the report of a bullying incident was received and taking into  consideration additional relevant information received during the course of the  investigation about the reported bullying incident. 

b. Involving appropriate school support personnel and other staff persons with  knowledge, experience, and training on bullying prevention, as deemed appropriate,

in the investigation process. 

c. Notifying the Building Principal or school administrator or designee of the  reported incident of bullying as soon as possible after the report isreceived. 

d. Consistent with federal and State laws and rules governing student privacy, providing  parents/guardians of the students who are parties to the investigation information about  the investigation and an opportunity to meet with the Building Principal or school  administrator or his or her designee to discuss the investigation, the findings 

of the investigation, and the actions taken to address the reported incident of  bullying. 

The Principal (Chief Executive Officer) or designee shall investigate whether a reported  incident of bullying is within the permissible scope of the School’s jurisdiction and shall require that the School provide the victim with information regarding services that are  available within the School and community, such as counseling, support services, and  other programs. 

6. The Principal (Chief Executive Officer) or designee shall use interventions to address  bullying, that may include, but are not limited to, school social work services, restorative  measures, social-emotional skill building, counseling, school psychological services, and  community-based services. 

7. A reprisal or retaliation against any person who reports an act of bullying is prohibited. A  student’s act of reprisal or retaliation will be treated as bullying for purposes of  determining any consequences or other appropriate remedial actions. 

8. A student will not be punished for reporting bullying or supplying information, even if the  School’s investigation concludes that no bullying occurred. However, knowingly making a  false accusation or providing knowingly false information will be treated as bullying for  purposes of determining any consequences or other appropriate remedial actions. 

9. The School’s bullying prevention and response plan must be based on the engagement  of a range of school stakeholders, including students and parents/guardians. 

10. The Principal (Chief Executive Officer) or designee shall post this policy on the School’s  Internet website, if any, and include it in the parent handbook, and, where applicable,  post it where other policies, rules, and standards of conduct are currently posted. The  policy must also be distributed annually to parents/guardians, students, and school  personnel, including new employees when hired. 

11. The Principal (Chief Executive Officer) or designee shall assist the Board with its

evaluation and assessment of this policy’s outcomes and effectiveness. This process  shall include, without limitation: 

a. The frequency of victimization; 

b. Student, staff, and family observations of safety at a school; 

c. Identification of areas of a school where bullying occurs; 

d. The types of bullying utilized; and 

e. Bystander intervention or participation. 

The evaluation process may use relevant data and information that the School already  collects for other purposes. The Principal (Chief Executive Officer) or designee must post  the information developed as a result of the policy evaluation on the School’s website, or  if a website is not available, the information must be provided to school administrators,  Board members, school personnel, parents/guardians, and students. 

This Bullying Policy Is consistent with the policies of the RPMS School Board.