Dignity For All Students Act DASA DASA NYS

Dignity For All Students Act DASA

DASA NYS Law passed last year, in effect July, 2012 Response to recent tragedies and lawsuits regarding acts of bullying in schools Requires districts and schools to prevent, monitor and address harassment, discrimination and

DASA Race Color Weight National Origin Ethnic Group Religion Religious Practice Disability Sexual Orientation Sex Gender Identity

What is bullying? Deliberate – a bully’s intention to hurt someone Repeated – a bully often targets the same victim again and again Power imbalance – a bully chooses victims he or she perceives as vulnerable

What is Harassment? Conduct, verbal threats, intimidation, or abuse that reasonably causes or would reasonably be expected to cause a student to fear for their safety.

What is Discrimination? The practice of unfairly treating a person or group of people differently from other people or groups of people.

Types of bullying: Physical Verbal (written) Relational Sexual Cyber

Effects of being bullied Lower self-esteem Depression and anxiety Absenteeism and lowered school achievement Thoughts of suicide Self-harm Illness

Concerns about children who bully Children who bully are more likely to: Get into fights and be injured in a fight Steal, vandalize school property Drink alcohol, do drugs Be truant, drop out of school Self-report poorer academic performance Perceive a negative climate at school Carry a weapon

Bullies are…. . ____ times as likely to have 3 or more convictions by age 24.

Bullies are…. . 4 times as likely to have 3 or more convictions by age 24.

Effects if Bullying on Bystanders Afraid Powerless to change the situation Guilty for not acting Over time, diminished empathy for others

5 Areas of Regulation: Policy (Code of Conduct) Civility, citizenship and character education (student instruction) Designation of a Dignity Act Coordinator (reporting and responding) School employee training Regulation in relation to reporting

At SPHS… Code of Conduct Character education and lessons on bullying/harassment Dignity Act Coordinator

Be an Upstander Report Bullying and Harassment in Room 236 or on the SPHS website

School Employee Training All school employees must be trained regarding DASA and reporting procedures. (NOW) Effective supervision must be in place (expect, correct, connect, protect) – (Trained last year with Laura Hamilton and previously with the Safe and Civil Schools team) All school employees are expected to protect students from bullying and harassment from other students and from adults. All adults are responsible to not commit acts of bullying.

What a teacher writes on the blackboard of life can never be erased. Author Unknown