Bullying
A little more than one in every five students is bullied according to a study published in 2019 by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics.
To say these statistics are concerning is an understatement. For all parents, but particularly for parents of children with special needs bullying is a significant concern. As PACER'S National Bullying Prevention Center notes, research has shown that students with disabilities are "two to three times more likely to be bullied than their nondisabled peers.
Student Reports of Bullying: National Center for Education Statistics
Massachusetts Anti-Bullying Laws
One small advantage for parents is that Massachusetts has fairly strong anti-bullying laws compared to many states.
Bullying Under Massachusetts Law
Bullying as defined in the law (which includes cyber bullying) encompasses behavior that
Causes physical or emotional harm or property damage to a student
Places the student in reasonable fear of harm to themselves or their property
Creates a hostile environment at the school
Infringes on the rights of the student at the school
Materially disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a school
Requirements for Schools
While the law does not criminalize bullying behavior it requires that all schools take steps to address. Specifically schools must
Have a defined and publicized bullying prevention and intervention plan
Ensure that teachers and other staff are trained annually according to the school's plan
Provide a means to report bullying, including anonymously
Requires that teachers and staff report any bullying they observe
Requires that the principal or a designated school official investigate any report of bullying they receive regardless of the source and take steps as defined in the prevention and intervention plan
Requires that the school notify parents of any incidents of bullying that were reported including results of the investigation and actions taken (note: full transparency on disciplinary actions may often be limited based on other laws)
You can find the Bullying Prevention and Intervention plan for Reading Schools here.
Bullying as it Relates to IEPs
Specific to special education, the law also requires that the IEP team assess whether a student's disability impacts social skills or may otherwise make the student vulnerable to bullying. If the team determines that it does then the team is required to address the skills and proficiencies that will be needed to avoid and respond to bullying within the IEP.
For More Information
Town of Reading
Reading Schools Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan - Reading Public Schools
Official Resources
Bullying: What Parents Need to Know - Federation for Children with Special Needs
Massachusetts Law About Bullying and Cyberbullying - Mass.gov
Office for Civil Rights - U.S. Department of Education
Bullying Prevention and Intervention - Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
603 CMR 49.00 Notification of Bullying or Retaliation Regulations - Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Technical Assistance Advisory SPED 2011-2 - Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Bullying Prevention and Intervention - Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
General Resources
Massachusetts Anti-bullying Law (Presentation) - Massachusetts Advocates for Children
PACERs National Bullying Prevention Center - PACER
Bullying and Harassment Prevention Orders - Children's Law Center of Massachusetts
Cyberbullying and Social Networks - Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center
Bullying & Harassment - Vermont Family Network
Bullying and the Child with Special Needs - AbilityPath.org
Bullying Prevention Guide and Resources - Early Childhood Education Degrees
Please note that we at Reading SEPAC cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information presented on any third-party website listed on this site, nor do we endorse any informational content appearing on third-party websites of any of the providers listed. We endeavor only to provide a listing of potentially helpful information available. Its up to you, as a consumer, to do your own diligence and research. Also note that any summarization of the laws, rules, regulations, processes or similar related to special education, or advice proffered is based exclusively on the experience of Reading SEPAC members as parents of children with special needs. Its in no way an official reflection of the position of the FCSA or the Reading School system and we make no claims of expertise in communication, law, education or any other areas. While we have endeavored to provide simple-to-read language for parents, we are not experts, do not claim to be, and make no warranties or claims of accuracy related to the informational content of this website.