Bullying Prevention
Bright Star Schools' Bullying Policy
Our Bullying Prevention Policy can be found under Title IX: Harassment, Intimidation, Discrimination, and Bullying Policy Information.
Cyberbullying Prevention Procedures
Bright Star Schools advises students:
- To never share passwords, personal data, or private photos online.
- To think about what they are doing carefully before posting and by emphasizing that comments cannot be retracted once they are posted.
- That personal information revealed on social media can be shared with anyone including parents, teachers, administrators, and potential employers. Students should never reveal information that would make them uncomfortable if the world had access to it.
- To consider how it would feel receiving such comments before making comments about others online.
Bright Star Schools informs Charter School employees, students, and parents/guardians of Bright Star Schools’ policies regarding the use of technology in and out of the classroom. Bright Star Schools encourages parents/guardians to discuss these policies with their children to ensure their children understand and comply with such policies.
Education
Bright Star Schools employees cannot always be present when bullying incidents occur, so educating students about bullying is a key prevention technique to limit bullying from happening. Bright Star Schools advises students that hateful and/or demeaning behavior is inappropriate and unacceptable in our society and at Bright Star Schools and encourages students to practice compassion and respect each other.
Charter School educates students to accept all student peers regardless of protected characteristics (including but not limited to actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identification, physical or cognitive disabilities, race, ethnicity, religion, and immigration status) and about the negative impact of bullying other students based on protected characteristics.
Bright Star Schools’ bullying prevention education also discusses the differences between appropriate and inappropriate behaviors and includes sample situations to help students learn and practice appropriate behavior and to develop techniques and strategies to respond in a non- aggressive way to bullying-type behaviors. Students will also develop confidence and learn how to advocate for themselves and others, and when to go to an adult for help.
Bright Star Schools informs Bright Star Schools employees, students, and parents/guardians of this Policy and encourages parents/guardians to discuss this Policy with their children to ensure their children understand and comply with this Policy.
Professional Development
Bright Star Schools annually makes available the online training module developed by the California Department of Education pursuant Education Code section 32283.5(a) to its certificated employees and all other Bright Star Schools employees who have regular interaction with students.
Bright Star Schools informs certificated employees about the common signs that a student is a target of bullying including:
- Physical cuts or injuries
- Lost or broken personal items
- Fear of going to school/practice/games
- Loss of interest in school, activities, or friends
- Trouble sleeping or eating
- Anxious/sick/nervous behavior or distracted appearance
- Self-destructiveness or displays of odd behavior
- Decreased self-esteem
Charter School also informs certificated employees about the groups of students determined by Bright Star Schools, and available research, to be at elevated risk for bullying. These groups include but are not limited to:
Students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning youth (“LGBTQ”) and those youth perceived as LGBTQ; and
Students with physical or learning disabilities.
Bright Star Schools encourages its employees to demonstrate effective problem-solving, anger management, and self-confidence skills for Bright Star Schools’ students.