- Pocono Mountain School District
- Bullying Prevention
Safety & Security
Page Navigation
PMSD Bullying Prevention Efforts
-
Pocono Mountain School District prohibits bullying or cyberbulling in the school setting and does not tolerate any form of bullying, as outlined in Policy 249 Bullying/Cyberbullying.
The District encourages students who are being bullied in the school setting to promptly report incidents to the building principal. If that isn't possible, the District encourages students and parents to report bullying, threats or other safety concerns through the Safe2Say Something anonymous reporting system.
Pocono Mountain School District has a Multi-Tiered Approach to Bullying Prevention in all grades K to 12 and in all schools throughout the district.
The following is a list of some of the Initiatives and Interventions included in Pocono Mountain School District’s Multi-Tiered Approach to Bullying Prevention.
Multi-Tiered Approach to Bullying Prevention
-
Health Curriculum
Our goal is to develop health literacy in all students. Health literacy is the capacity of an individual to obtain, interpret, and understand basic health information and services and the competence to use such information and services in ways that are health-enhancing. Health-literate individuals understand scientifically-based principles of health promotion and disease prevention, incorporate that knowledge into personal health-related attitudes and behaviors, and make good health a personal priority. Health Education in the Pocono Mountain School District is comprehensive, accurate, up-to-date and relevant. The Health Education program equips students with the skills necessary to weigh options, make responsible decisions and develop behaviors that promote healthful living. Students are encouraged to assess their attitudes and behavior patterns and to understand the impact their life choices have on their communities and on their own well-being.
-
School Counselor Curriculum
The mission of the Pocono Mountain School District School Counseling Program is to provide a comprehensive, developmental counseling program addressing the academic, career and personal/social development of all students, in order to prepare them for tomorrow’s challenges and opportunities. School counselors are professional school advocates who support the process of maximizing student potential through cultivating a program which supports all students’ personal/social, academic, and career achievement. School counselors’ partner with educators, administrators, parents or guardians, as well as surrounding community members to promote lifelong learning and to encourage all students to become productive members of society.
-
Pocono Mountain School District Bullying Policy (#249)
The Pocono Mountain School District recognizes that bullying of students has a negative effect on the educational environment of school. The district's policy is reviewed annually and submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Education Office of Safe Schools for review as required.
-
Trauma-Informed Training
All staff are provided with trauma-informed training which assists staff in responding to the signs and symptoms of trauma. A framework and roadmap for adopting a trauma-sensitive approach has been developed as well as a variety of resources for staff about trauma and trauma-sensitive practices.
-
Safe Schools Training
All staff participate in Safe Schools training, which are online safety training courses specifically designed for school districts. The courses are 100% school-focused and each one is authorized by a leading school safety specialist.
-
Digital Citizenship Program
All students are educated on digital citizenship in order to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively use the internet and digital technologies.
Bullying Quick Links
Parent/Student Info & Resources
-
Click on each Tab above to find resources for parents and students on how to prevent and stop bullying. Click on the titles below to access the information and resources on bullying prevention.
Pennsylvania Bullying Prevention Tool Kit: Resources for parents, educators and professionals serving children, youth and families.
What Parents Can Do to Help Prevent Bullying: Adults have a major role in helping to prevent bullying. Find out what you can do.
How to Talk to Children About Bullying: Talking about bullying can be difficult for everyone. There are many ways to raise the subject of bullying and start the conversation before bullying happens or if you are concerned that it may be happening.
How Parents Can Build Resilience with Activities, Movies, and Books: Tangible strategies for parents to help children develop resilience.
What Teens Can Do: Bullying stops us from being who we want to be, and prevents us from expressing ourselves freely, and might even make us feel unsafe. If you are bullied, say something. If you are bullying, it’s not cool.
-
Click on each Tab above to find resources for parents and students on how to prevent and stop cyberbullying. Click on the titles below to access the information and resources on cyberbullying prevention.
Cyberbullying Fact Sheet: Identification, Prevention, and Response: This detailed guide is a nine-page summary – filled with as much useful information as possible – to equip educators, parents, and other youth-serving adults to spot cyberbullying, respond to it appropriately and meaningfully, and to prevent its future occurrence among those they care for. If you only have time to read one fact sheet from the Cyberbullying Research Center to get up-to-speed about the problem and what you can do, read this one.
Cyberbullying Warning Signs: Red flags that a child is involved in cyberbullying.
Questions Parents Should Ask Their Children About Technology: It's important to talk to young people about what they are seeing and doing online.
Standing up to Cyberbullying - Top Ten Tips for Teens: Don't be a bystander - stand up to cyberbullying when you see it.
What to Do When Your Child is Cyberbullied: Top Ten Tips for Parents:
What To Do When Your Child Cyberbullies Others: Top Ten Tips for Parents
Bullying, Cyberbullying, and LGBTQ Students: Bullying that specifically targets young people and young adults based on their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression has been a problem for decades. The increased utilization of technology among young people (and, well, just about everyone) has resulted in bullying behaviors moving online. As a result, cyberbullying perpetrated against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth has emerged. It is clear that more can be done to prevent these incidents of hate perpetrated online.
Cyberbullying Scripts: Talking to teens about online harassment.
Digital Resilience: "We define digital resilience as 'positive attitudes and actions in the face of interpersonal adversity online.' While adversity can arise from technological sources as well (e.g., hard drive crashes, forgotten passwords, vulnerable cloud accounts), we are primarily concerned with the social aspect of online interactions that induce anger, frustration, anxiety, fear, embarrassment, and similar outcomes."
