Bullying Prevention and Intervetion
Overview
Bullying, including cyberbullying, is a serious problem that impacts many children but is even more prevalent for children who have disabilities. This resource provides information from various sources about bullying, how to prevent it from occurring, and what can be done to support individuals who have experienced bullying.
Websites and Resources
Bullying Prevention: PA Department of Education
The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Office for Safe Schools bullying prevention webpage contains resources for parents, educators, and professionals serving children and youth in school and out-of-school settings.
Resources include:
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- Bullying Prevention Consultation Line: tel: 1-866-716-0424
- Information on funding and grants for the Safe School Initiative
- Links to prevention toolkits, best practices in prevention and intervention, civil rights information and resources specifically for individuals with disabilities
PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center
PACER provides resources for students, parents, educators, and others, and recognizes bullying as a serious community issue that impacts education, physical and emotional health, and the safety and well-being of students.
PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center helps by:
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- Offering classroom activities, toolkits, and lesson plans for educators
- Providing informative guides for parents to understand the dynamics of bullying, help their children through bullying situations, and learn how to communicate with school staff
- Educating students with age-appropriate resources and information to manage bullying situations, be supportive of their peers, and take action to prevent bullying in their school, community, and online
- Creating school-wide opportunities to address bullying, including National Bullying Prevention Month in October and Unity Day, initiatives both founded by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center
Walk a Mile in Their Shoes
This resource from AbilityPath.org provides information on bullying with a downloadable Guide to Bullying and Special Needs. In recognizing the need for the critical issue of bullying to be addressed, AbilityPath.org created this report and guide to achieve the following:
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- Educate all parents on the issue. Both parents and experts shared with AbilityPath.org the limited information that is available specific to the issues faced by children with special needs.
- Empower parents and educators to take action and apply meaningful change in the classroom and these children’s lives by providing educational as well as legal options in an effort to prevent and/or fight back against bullies.
- Assist policy makers, school administrators and professionals in a team effort to ensure that this issue is at the forefront in the public arena when bullying is discussed, researched or legislated.
Special Needs Anti-Bullying Toolkit
This toolkit from Bully Free World is a set of resources for people to confront bullying of children with special needs from all angles – from talking to your children to knowing your rights to teaching tolerance in schools. Start by reading the Top Ten Facts to know about bullying and children with special needs, and then learn about the unique challenges children with special needs face when encountering bullying. This website includes resources for parents, educators and students.
StopBullying.gov
This website from various federal government agencies provides information on what bullying is, what cyberbullying is, who is at risk, and how you can prevent and respond to bullying. Specific information is included for individuals with disabilities and special needs, as well as LGBTQ youth.
Additional ASERT Developed Resources
Bullying
This resource, developed by ASERT for ASDNext, provides information on the types of bullying and ways to prevent it from happening.
ResourceCyberbullying
This resource, developed by ASERT for ASDNext, provides information about cyberbullying as well as tips on what to do if you have experienced cyberbullying. Please click on the link below to access this helpful resource.
Resource