Bill Text: HI HR162 | 2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Education; Bullying; Cyberbullying; Harassment

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-03-20 - (H) Referred to EDN, JUD, FIN, referral sheet 50 [HR162 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2012-HR162-Introduced.html

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	162
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2012
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

requesting the Board of Education and the department of education to maintain, monitor, and enforce anti-bullying, anti-cyberbullying, and anti-harassment policies and procedures to protect public and charter school students.

 

 

     WHEREAS, all students have the right to participate fully in the education process, free from bullying, cyberbullying, and harassment; and

 

     WHEREAS, a safe and civil environment in school is necessary for students to learn and to meet high academic standards; and

 

     WHEREAS, bullying, cyberbullying, and harassment, like other disruptive or violent behaviors, are forms of conduct that disrupt a student's ability to learn and a school's ability to educate its students in a safe environment; and

 

     WHEREAS, because students learn by example, school administrators, faculty, staff, and volunteers should be expected to demonstrate appropriate behavior, treat others with civility and respect, and refuse to tolerate bullying, cyberbullying, and harassment; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2012, that the Board of Education is requested to maintain, monitor, and enforce anti-bullying, anti-cyberbullying, and anti-harassment policies and procedures to protect public and charter school students; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Education is requested to ensure that all anti-bullying, anti-cyberbullying, and anti-harassment policies apply to:

 

     (1)  Conduct occurring on all public and charter elementary and secondary school premises, at all public school-sponsored functions or activities, at all charter school-sponsored functions or activities, on public school-sponsored transportation, and on charter school-sponsored transportation; and

 

     (2)  Electronic technology usage and electronic communications that occur on all public and charter elementary and secondary school premises; at all public school-sponsored functions or activities; at all charter school-sponsored functions or activities; on public school-sponsored transportation; on charter school-sponsored transportation; on public school computers, networks, forums, and mailing lists; and on charter school computers, networks, forums, and mailing lists; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Education is requested to require the Department of Education and all charter schools to:

 

     (1)  Effectively publicize the Board's anti-bullying, anti-cyberbullying, and anti-harassment policies and procedures including adding a statement of those policies and procedures to new employee training materials, student handbooks, and any other publication that sets forth comprehensive rules, procedures, and standards of conduct;

 

     (2)  Conduct annual training at the school level on how to promote peace and respect, and intervention strategies when students are engaged in bullying, cyberbullying, or harassing behavior;

 

     (3)  Establish procedures for investigating violations of the anti-bullying, anti-cyberbullying, and anti-harassment policies;

 

     (4)  Establish reporting and response mechanisms that address the failure of schools and administrators in implementing the anti-bullying, anti-cyberbullying, and anti-harassment policies and procedures;

 

     (5)  Establish mechanisms for reporting incidents of bullying, cyberbullying, and harassment;

 

     (6)  Make available to the public statewide statistics concerning bullying, cyberbullying, and harassment;

 

     (7)  Incorporate into the anti-bullying, anti-cyberbullying, and anti-harassment policies and procedures the filing of complaints against schools upon their failure to comply with or implement the anti-bullying, anti-cyberbullying, and anti-harassment policies;

 

     (8)  Establish clear lines of accountability, including designating one person in the Department of Education and one person at each charter school as the primary contact regarding anti-bullying, anti-cyberbullying, and anti-harassment policies and procedures to receive copies of all formal and informal complaints, be responsible for assuring the implementation of the policies and procedures, and serve as the primary contact on the policies and procedures;

 

     (9)  Require school employees and trained volunteers who witness incidents of bullying, cyberbullying, or harassment, or possess reliable information that would lead a reasonable person to suspect that a person is a target of bullying, cyberbullying, or harassment, to promptly report those incidents or that information to the school principal, complex area superintendent, Superintendent of Education, or Executive Director of the Charter School Administrative Office, as appropriate;

 

    (10)  Promptly investigate reports or complaints of bullying, cyberbullying, or harassment, and identify the person responsible for conducting the investigation;

 

    (11)  Delineate the range of ways in which schools will respond once an incident of bullying, cyberbullying, or harassment is identified, including a range of potential age-appropriate education-focused consequences that correspond to the prohibited bullying, cyberbullying, and harassment act;

 

    (12)  Provide appropriate referrals or resources to student victims, perpetrators, and their respective families, if necessary;

 

    (13)  Prohibit reprisal or retaliation against any person who reports an act of bullying, cyberbullying, or harassment and describe appropriate remedial action for a person who engages in reprisal or retaliation;

 

    (14)  Allow for anonymous reporting; provided that no remedial action shall be undertaken solely on the basis of an anonymous report;

 

    (15)  Collect, report, and analyze, at least on an annual basis, data on incidents of bullying, cyberbullying, and harassment; and

 

    (16)  Establish a school community culture that integrates the Aloha spirit, as defined in section 5-7.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, evidence-based anti-bullying, anti-cyberbullying, and anti-harassment policies and procedures, and peace promoting elements into each school's curriculum, and creates and encourages an environment of safety and respect for all; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Education report to the this body on the status of its anti-bullying, anti-cyberbullying, and anti-harassment policies for public and charter schools, along with any findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2013; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Education, Superintendent of Education, Chairperson of the Charter School Review Panel, and Executive Director of the Charter School Administrative Office.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Education; Bullying; Cyberbullying; Harassment