School Bullying Legislation and Training Requirements
Bullying in our schools has an effect on all of us. It affects parents, children, peers, and the surrounding community. Bullying has been linked to 75 percent of school-shooting incidents, including the fatal shootings at Columbine High School near Littleton, Colorado, and Santana High School in Santee, California. (US Secret Service Report, May 2002).
In Pennsylvania, the state Senate has passed Senate Bill 71 and it has moved on to the House Appropriations Committee for approval. This bill is an amendment to the Public School Code of 1949 which will require public schools to create an anti-bullying policy, or amend their current policy to include anti-bullying policy.
Senate Bill 71 also includes guidelines for each public school to follow. These proposed guidelines include provisions such as risk assessment, codes of conduct, safety and security plans, and numerous training requirements. There are currently three provisions calling for training programs to be implemented into the school’s policy.
The first training program requires schools to assess risk factors that increase the likelihood of problematic behaviors among students on a district-wide level. The second training requirement calls for implementing a research-based program addressing the risk factors among students in order to prevent further incidents to occur. Finally, a training program must be compiled to prepare specialized students and staff to refer students at risk of violent behavior to appropriate community-based services.
The proposed bill, still in the House Appropriations Committee, calls for each school entity to post the bullying policy in each classroom and review it at least twice every school year. The bill also requires each school entity to review its policy every three years. This proposed bill is to be taken into effect within 60 days of its passage into law.