Belleville East — Counseling Department
Bullying Information
Bullying Information
Whether you are a student, a parent, or a staff person working at Belleville East, we are glad you are visiting the Belleville East bullying prevention and intervention webpage.
In order to create a school culture that is free of harassment and bullying, students, staff, and parents all have a responsibility to recognize and report bullying when they see it. We must also build a school environment that, by its very nature, prevents bullying before it occurs. By visiting these resources, you are taking a step to help make our community one that we can all be proud to be a part of. We encourage you to explore as we work together to continue to make our community one that is safe for all -– socially, emotionally and physically.
For more information regarding bullying prevention and intervention at Belleville East High School please contact Mrs. Laurie Gray, LCSW, School Social Worker at 618.222.3743 or lgray@bths201.org.
Bullying Referral Form
All Belleville East students deserve the opportunity to feel safe.
Before filing an incident report, we strongly encourage you to explore all sections on this webpage to learn more about bullying prevention and intervention.
No Lancer Left Behind
The No Lancer Left Behind program at Belleville East High School aims to promote tolerance and acceptance in the school community while addressing bullying behavior. When a bullying incident is reported through the online “Bullying Report Form,” it goes to a school administrator and social worker for investigation. The administrator deals with any violations of school policy related to the report, applying appropriate consequences for bullying acts. The social worker will identify any social/emotional concerns that need to be addressed to support the victim. The administrator, social worker, or counselor will provide follow-up with the student to monitor the status of the bullying intervention to ensure the student is no longer a target of bullying.
Belleville East and District #201 already have policies and procedures in place to address bullying. Any student found guilty of bullying, intimidation, or harassment will face disciplinary consequences according to the district’s discipline policy, focusing on the offenders.
Program components:
The primary focus of the No Lancer Left Behind program is to support and empower victims of bullying:
Support Groups
School social workers, with the help of student facilitators, provide support to students who have been victims of bullying. Often teens who have been victims of bullying suffer from a lack of self-confidence and internalize the bullying. They also falsely believe that they are the only one experiencing peer mistreatment. The BEAST (Belonging, Empowerment, Acceptance, Solidarity, & Tolerance) support group seeks to establish a sense of connectedness and belonging with students, to help them feel they are a part of something. This can have a tremendous impact on their self-confidence and ability to heal. Once a teen realizes that they are not the only one experiencing bullying, they can begin to move toward healing and empowerment. BEAST support group is offered at East on an as needed basis through the social work department.
Online Report Form
The on-line report form will also serve as a way to track incidents of bullying on the Belleville East campus. Students, parents and staff can report bullying in one location and administration can track what bullying behaviors are occurring and where they are most frequently occurring to target prevention strategies to reduce bullying on campus. This will also help administration track the scope of bullying at Belleville East.
Campus-wide Initiatives
to raise awareness about the negative impact of bullying and increase tolerance and acceptance. October – National Bullying Prevention and Awareness Month.
For more information regarding bullying prevention and intervention at Belleville East High School please contact Mrs. Laurie Gray, LCSW, School Social Worker at 618.222.3743 or lgray@bths201.org.
Reporting Procedures
and Forms
The purpose of this section of the No Lancer Left Behind Bullying Prevention and Intervention webpage is to help students, parents and staff understand the specifics of the Belleville East reporting procedures and forms.
Before filing an incident report, we strongly encourage you to also explore other resources on this page to learn more about bullying prevention and intervention.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the rules in District 201 & Belleville East which prohibit bullying? Does it include activities outside of school?
A: Belleville High School District #201 prohibits Bullying, Intimidation & Harassment (including cyberbullying):
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- At school and at all school facilities
- At school-sponsored or school-related functions, whether on or off school grounds
- On school buses and school bus stops
- Through the use of technology or an electronic device owned, licensed or used by a school; and
- At non-school-related locations and through non-school technology or electronic devices, if the bullying affects the school environment
- Read the entire District #201 policy on bullying here.
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Q: What will the schools be considering in deciding if a report is actually a bullying incident?
A: Every incident will be evaluated on a case by case basis and treated seriously. That said, it’s important to remember that not every situation is, in fact, bullying. Sometimes misunderstandings and miscommunications will result in one party feeling that they were a target of bullying. The principal, assistant principal, or other staff person reviewing the initial Bullying Incident report will determine if the incident warrants further investigation.
Belleville East staff, in determining if a behavior is bullying, will consider the following questions:
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- Is there a pattern of repeated behaviors by one aggressor towards one or more target(s)?
- Has the behavior caused a substantially detrimental effect on the student’s physical or mental health?
- Has the behavior placed the student in reasonable fear of harm to the student’s person or property?
- Is this behavior substantially disrupting or interfering with the student’s academic performance at school?
- Does the behavior substantially interfere with the student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by the school?
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Q: How do I file a report of a bullying incident?
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- You/your parents can contact your Assistant Principal by phone and report it to school personnel
- You/your parents can make a report in person at the school office
- You/your parents can complete the Bullying Incident Reporting Form
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Q: Can a report be filed anonymously?
A: YES – An anonymous note can be left with an Assistant Principal, Counselor, or Social worker, or the Bullying Incident Reporting Form can be submitted anonymously. However, keep in mind that while you do not have to give your name or email address when reporting, if you don’t, we will not have a way to contact you to help or to fully investigate the incident. You should also be aware that false accusations, filling out a report to “get back at someone” or just because you don’t like them will not be tolerated and could result in disciplinary action. All complaints will be kept confidential to the extent possible given the need to investigate.
Q: What happens after an incident is reported?
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- The designated administrator (typically an assistant principal) will conduct a preliminary review of the incident to determine the need for an investigation.
- If warranted, an investigation will be conducted and completed in a timely manner.
- Parents/guardians will be contacted and made aware of the investigation and outcome to the extent possible, given confidentiality laws.
- Intervention may include referral to the proper authorities in and/or out of school disciplinary actions.
- The school will take appropriate action to prevent repeated bullying.
Q: Will I be told the disciplinary or other action taken after the investigation?
A: Confidentiality laws prohibit educators from telling a student or parent specifics about any action taken against another student. But this doesn’t mean we are not working on it. No report will be ignored. And, though it might mean that you won’t get specific information, the person investigating the incident will keep you informed.
For more information regarding bullying prevention and intervention at Belleville East High School please contact Mrs. Laurie Gray, LCSW, School Social Worker at 618.222.3743 or lgray@bths201.org.
Information for Students
As a high school student, you are a role model for your siblings, your peers, and others. More than ever, how you conduct yourself matters. How you treat others matters. Belleville East believes that a student’s education extends beyond the classroom — to the hallways, the bus, the locker room, the cafeteria and even online.
In recent years, there has been a lot of media coverage about bullying — including the most extreme cases, is which kids were so desperate, lonely, and depressed after being bullied that they were driven to suicide.
We challenge you to consider these questions:
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- What can I do to stop bullying?
- How will I reach out to kids in my school who might be targets?
- What can I do to make my school a place where everyone can feel accepted for who they are?
What is Bullying?
The Illinois School Code defines bullying as 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:
- Placing the student or student in reasonable fear of harm to the student’s or students’ person or property;
- Causing a substantially detrimental effect on the student’s or students’ physical or mental health;
- Substantially interfering with the student’s or students’ academic performance; or
- Substantially interfering with the student’s or students’ ability to participate in or benefit from the service, activities, or privileges provided by a school.
Bullying may take various forms, including: harassment, threats, intimidation, stalking, physical violence, sexual harassment, sexual violence, theft, public humiliation, destruction or property, or retaliation.
Bullies pick on certain people they feel are different in some way. They have friends who think bullying is funny, but it isn’t funny. It’s WRONG!
Are you or a friend being bullied? Ask yourself these questions:
Did someone say or do something to make me feel upset or afraid?
Has it happened more than once?
Is the person who is targeting me bigger, older, or in some way more powerful than I am?
Still Unsure? Ask yourself these questions…….
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- Am I playing sick in the morning so I won’t have to go to school and face someone at school?
- Do I walk home another way, avoid the bus, locker room, or a particular building or hallway so no one will bother me?
- Does someone take things from me or make me give them stuff?
- Does someone say mean things about me either at school or online or tell other people not to hang out with me?
- Does someone call me names, make fun of me, or spread rumors about me either at school or online?
IF the answer is YES to these questions, YOU COULD BE A VICTIM OF BULLYING!
What are ways to deal with bullying behavior?
Steer clear of the student(s). Take a different route to class to avoid them.
Try ignoring; walking away, or not say anything.
Stay close to friends and people who are not bullies. There is safety in numbers!
Tell the student to stop. Have a statement planned ahead of time to make to them when they make a comment or bother you.
What should you NOT do if you are being bullied?
DON’T fight. You will just get in trouble and you could get hurt.
DON’T do nothing. You need a plan, and you need some help, so TELL someone.
DON’T skip school. This problem is not going to go away by itself.
DON’T hurt yourself. The bullying is not your fault.
Report Bullying Right Away!
Your school has ways for you to report bullying. You can use this webpage, or go in person to your assistant principal or any counselor or social worker in the Counseling Center. Don’t be afraid to ask an adult for help if you need it.
Your parents can also report bullying for you. Ask them to talk to your principal, assistant principal, guidance counselor, social worker or to a trusted teacher if that’s most comfortable.
My friend is being bullied; What can I do?
It is good to try to help. Don’t make another student who is being bullied feel worse by laughing or doing nothing. Tell a teacher, guidance counselor, social worker, assistant principal or other staff member right away.
If you can, tell the bully to stop. State what you don’t like and how you want it fixed. For example, “I don’t like how you treat Mike; no one thinks it is funny, so just stop.” Walk away with the person who is being bullied.
Talk to the person who is targeted and try to be a good friend. Tell them you’ll stick it out with them during the challenging times.
Telling or tattling — Which is which?
Reporting bullying behavior to an adult isn’t tattling. Tattling is when you tell on someone to get him or her into trouble. Reporting is when you tell something in order to help someone get out of trouble or keep someone from getting hurt.
So, if you or a friend is being bullied: Tell someone. Tell a teacher who you feel a connection to. Tell your parents. Tell a friend. Tell the principal. Ask to talk to a counselor or social worker. These people will listen and help you decide what to do. If this is happening, tell an adult! If the person you told cannot help you or does not do anything, find someone else.
When you report bullying make sure you tell who the aggressor is, how you are being bullied, when it happens, and where it happens. Save any emails, voicemails, Facebook messages, posts or other specific things that may help you explain what’s happened.