The ultimate goal of the Lowell Public Schools is to prevent bullying from happening. Instructional activities will focus on helping students develop healthy social relationships with their peers and adults and creating a positive school culture.

A. Specific Bullying Prevention Approaches

A program of evidence-based social/emotional learning instruction is offered to all students in all schools. Some of the curricula used in the district includes Second Step, Open Circle, Steps to Respect, and Aggressors/Perpetrators, Victims/Targets, and Bystanders which are approved by the Federal Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools for their effectiveness in addressing individual risk and protective factors associated with bullying. Other programs that foster a positive school culture and reduce the risk of violence are incorporated into the curriculum. These programs are designed to:

Counteract the following risk factors:

• Delinquent beliefs/general delinquency involvement/drug dealing
• Early onset of aggression and/or violence
• Victimization and exposure to violence
• Poor refusal skills
• Lack of guilt and empathy

Enhance the following protective factors:

• High expectations for students with clear standards and rules
• Opportunities for prosocial school involvement
• Individual social competencies and problem solving skills

The district will continue to implement these programs in order to ensure all students have opportunities to develop knowledge, skills and attitudes that will (a) prevent bullying and other forms of violence and (b) promote positive social relationships and community culture. These might include:

• Enhancing students’ skills for engaging in healthy relationships and respectful communications,
• Engaging students in a safe, supportive school environment that is respectful of diversity and difference and
• Empowering students to take action by knowing what to do when they witness other students engaged in acts of bullying or retaliation, including seeking adult assistanc

B. General Teaching Approaches that Support Bullying Prevention Efforts

The following approaches are integral to establishing a safe and supportive school environment. These underscore the importance of our bullying prevention and intervention initiatives:

• Creating safe school and classroom environments for all students,
• Setting clear expectations for students and establishing school and classroom routines,
• Modeling, teaching and rewarding pro-social, healthy and respectful behaviors,
• Supporting students’ interest and participation in non-academic and extracurricular activities,
• Modeling the safe use of the Internet and monitoring students’ Internet use at school to promote positive behavior and redirect unsafe activities and
• Supporting non-violent conflict resolution, including supervised peer mediatio

C. Cyber Safety Instruction

Students are provided with instruction and guidance in cyber safety and media literacy skills. The students also engage in learning activities which focus on the areas of internet safety, cyberbullying and bullying. Students are oriented to the district Internet Acceptable Use Policy as outlined in the Parent and Student Handbooks which (a) provides guidelines for the safe and appropriate use of electronic communication technologies, and (b) specifically prohibits use of the district technology for cyberbullying and other forms of hostile and anti-social purposes.