Contents
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Bullying in Online and Traditional Schools (U.S. Statistics)
- 3 Legacy Online School’s Approach to Anti-Bullying
- 4 Intervention and Support Programs
- 5 The Role of Parents and Students in Preventing Bullying
- 6 Conclusion and Call to Action
Bullying prevention is an important element in every school, physical and virtual. We will share the measures our school takes to prevent bullying.
Introduction
Bullying happens in a lot of places, and an online school is no exception. Cyberbullying is a form of traditional bullying adapted to the online setting. Our specialists are committed to making every effort to eliminate any form of bullying for our students.
Legacy Online School aims to create a space where every student learns without fear of harassment. Our anti-bullying policies and initiatives guarantee strong support and protection for students in their online learning.
Students, parents, and staff need a shared understanding of what “bullying” means to recognize and stop it. Legacy Online School follows a common definition of this term, which you can read more about here:
Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged peers. Bullying involves a real or perceived power imbalance and often happens more than once. It can cause physical, emotional, social, or educational harm.
Bullying is not just teasing on the playground. It includes different harmful actions, and we have listed some of them in the table below for better understanding:
| Type | Description |
| Verbal | Hurtful words like name-calling, insults, threats, or rude remarks |
| Written | Mean messages in emails, texts, chat posts, or handwritten notes |
| Visual | Pictures, drawings, or videos made to mock, shame, or scare someone. This includes posting an embarrassing photo of a classmate |
| Cyberbullying | Mean actions through phones or online platforms. This includes cruel messages, spreading rumors, or excluding someone from a group. It also includes sharing false or private information to hurt someone |
| Harassment | Repeated abuse linked to personal traits like race, gender, religion, or other characteristics. This includes verbal or written attacks, sexual harassment, and stalking. Harassment makes a space unsafe and is a serious form of bullying |
Even jokes or pranks may be bullying if they fit these examples. Context and intent matter, but the most important thing is how the victim feels. Any action that scares, threatens, embarrasses, or excludes a student is not allowed, whether in person, in a virtual classroom, or on social media.
Bullying in Online and Traditional Schools (U.S. Statistics)
Let’s see some statistics showing bullying is a big problem in any school:
- About 1 in 5 students report being bullied in a physical school
- Around 46% of U.S. teens ages 13-17 say they have been cyberbullied or harassed online at least once
- More than 50% of students have experienced online bullying through texting, social media, or other means in the past years
Unique Challenges in Virtual Environments
A virtual classroom removes physical bullying but creates new risks. Cyberbullying can happen through chat messages, social media, or other online tools. Adults often don’t often notice these actions. Harmful messages, rumors, and images spread quickly, and students may be targeted even outside of school hours because the internet is always active. Teachers without face-to-face interaction may struggle to spot warning signs like changes in body language or emotional distress.
Legacy Online School knows stopping online bullying requires careful monitoring and teaching students about safe and respectful online behavior. Many families choose online schooling to escape bullying in traditional schools. Our school works to meet the expectations of such families and create a space free from any form of bullying.
Legacy Online School’s Approach to Anti-Bullying
Legacy Online School strictly prohibits all forms of bullying and harassment. Our school uses national standards to guarantee a safe space for all students. Below are the main components of our anti-bullying policy.
Proactive Prevention Initiatives
We aim to prevent bullying from happening. Our teachers monitor students’ activities and well-being, stepping in and providing support when needed. We develop clear policies and communicate them to parents and students. We organize events to ensure students clearly understand what bullying is and why it has no place in our school.
Digital Citizenship Education
Traditional schools teach how to be a good citizen in real life, but we teach not only that but also how to be a good citizen in the virtual world. Our teachers explain to children the importance of treating each other with respect and following school policies. Students get a better understanding of the potential negative experiences they may face online and learn how to respond to such situations.
Teacher and Staff Training
Our teachers and all other experts working at the school undergo special training every year, and in some cases, even more often. This training helps them address different aspects of bullying, educate students, and help them understand bullying is not a solution to problems. Our staff completes this training to develop the necessary skills to identify bullying in all aspects of online life.
Clear Technology Usage Policies
Legacy Online School creates clear instructions on how students use our platform and other online tools. Students and parents read our rules and agree to them before joining our school. These rules do not allow children to insult or be disrespectful to anyone. Our online platform is set up to automatically check if rules are broken and if students use offensive language.
Active Online Monitoring
Our experts ensure student privacy while maintaining oversight of behaviour in virtual classrooms and online platforms. Specialists step in if they see a child is engaging in bullying.
Encouraging a Positive School Culture
We value kindness and teach children it is important to show kindness to others along with respect. We teach children to appreciate inclusion and show empathy to those around them. Our teachers aim to instill these important values in students. We organize events like Kindness Week so children not only learn these values but also enjoy the process.
Parent Education and Resources
Legacy Online School knows how important the role of parents is in stopping bullying and provides them with all the necessary resources. Parents can ask teachers for help if they are unsure whether something is bullying or not. Parents can attend training seminars or read relevant materials we provide for free.
A Whole-Community Approach
Our goal is to create an online community where there is no bullying and everyone understands bullying is a wrong action. Our community is built on these values, and many of our activities help students better understand them. Teachers discuss bullying in lessons and explain how to act correctly if you become a victim or a witness. Our policies clearly state bullying is not allowed. Our events help children see a space without bullying is much better and more enjoyable.
Intervention and Support Programs
Legacy Online School combines strict rules with supportive programs to address the causes of bullying and help all students feel safe. Below are more measures we use to respond to bullying.
Counseling Services
School counselors help victims and aggressors. Students who have been bullied get back their confidence and learn coping skills through counseling. Students who have bullied others get guidance to understand the harm they caused and change their behavior.
Counselors build trust with students and uncover issues like insecurity. These problems can be the root of bullying. Sessions are private and tailored to each student’s needs. Regular follow-ups guarantees all involved students get ongoing support. Check this website for more information on bullying intervention.
Mediation and Conflict Resolution
Many situations turning into bullying start with problems in personal communication. Children may be friends, but misunderstandings can arise, leading them to become enemies and try to harm each other. Such situations can be avoided if noticed in time. Our experts monitor relationships between children and step in when needed to act as mediators and help build healthy interactions.
Anti-Bullying Workshops & Activities
We organize many events for students and parents to raise awareness about bullying and build an understanding of what to do in different situations. Our events may include lectures, role-playing activities, or other types of sessions. We use different formats to keep students interested and help them find the approach suiting them best.
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Curriculum
Students have special SEL lessons every week. Check this website to learn more about SEL programs.
These lessons focus on the emotional aspects of society. Children learn to better understand their own and others’ emotions, as well as to stay in control instead of acting on emotions. This knowledge helps them see no point in bullying and encourages them to prevent others from engaging in it.
Positive Discipline Approach
Legacy Online School does not aim to simply punish students who engage in bullying. Our experts work to understand the reasons behind their actions and encourage students who have bullied but recognized their mistakes and never repeat them. A lack of knowledge and understanding of how others feel and what cyberbullying is are common issues. That is why we choose to educate and show the difference rather than punish thoughtlessly.
Continuous Monitoring and Follow-Up
Staff continue monitoring after a bullying case is reported. Victims get follow-up support to guarantee the bullying has stopped. Teachers also observe students involved to prevent retaliation or further issues.
Online interactions, such as class discussions and group projects, get closer attention after a bullying incident. Staff take immediate action if any new concerns arise.
Building a Community of Respect
Legacy Online School focuses on education, support, and community values to prevent bullying long-term. Discipline and intervention work together to stop harmful behavior, help students grow, and strengthen a culture of respect.
The Role of Parents and Students in Preventing Bullying
Creating a safe school environment requires teamwork. We encourage everyone to take an active part in supporting our anti-bullying efforts.
For Students: Building Respect and Speaking Up
Our students adhere to certain values to help create the right environment as well. Here are the key values they follow.
Practice Digital Responsibility
Our students understand what they say or do online is just as important as in real life. Children think carefully about what they say in class or write in the group chat. Teachers help them understand the importance of this and teach them to be respectful everywhere and to everyone.
Be an Upstander, Not a Bystander
Students in our school do not stay aside when they see someone being mistreated. Our students take initiative and inform the school staff about it. Children support each other, creating an environment where bullying is not accepted.
Report Bullying Incidents
We encourage students who report bullying and stand up for others. Our school specialists have developed a reporting system that is convenient for every student. Children can report it openly or remain anonymous.
Be Welcoming with Your Peers
Bullying often happens to children who find it hard to fit in. Students can help prevent this by being friendly to their new classmates. Small actions like saying hello or inviting them to a chat are enough to create the right environment.
Follow the School’s Core Values
Legacy Online School follows values where bullying has no place. SEL lessons explain the school’s values in more detail and teach children about the importance of treating everyone with respect. Children better understand the online environment is no different from a physical school in this regard and requires certain standards of politeness.
Creating a Culture of Kindness
Legacy Online School aims to instill the right values in students and create a culture where bullying has no place. Our teachers teach children to stand up for others and take small actions that have a big impact on the overall atmosphere. Our experts use a gamified approach and reward students who demonstrate positive qualities.
For Parents: Monitoring and Supporting Your Child
Staying engaged in a child’s education helps parents guarantee kids’ safety and well-being. Here’s what parents should do.
Stay Informed and Vigilant
Parents should not ignore their child and need to pay attention to small details. A child who has become more withdrawn, unwilling to study, or showing other small changes may be experiencing bullying. It is important for parents to talk to their child and check if everything is okay. Parents should also inform teachers so they can provide support as well.
Educate and Set Expectations
Some bullying happens because kids do not know enough and do not have a good example to follow. Parents need to stay in touch with their children, ask about their life, and teach them to respect others. Some students think doing something online is less harmful than in a real school, but this is not true. Parents need to explain this difference to their children.
Use Special Tools to be Aware
Parents should respect their children’s privacy, but some control is necessary to keep them safe. The internet and software offer different solutions for this. Content filters are a good example. These filters help set limits so children cannot access certain content, which may give them wrong values. Our online platform has many safety tools, but parents need to use their own tools to protect their children outside school hours.
Collaborate with the School
Legacy Online School supports parents in addressing bullying concerns. Staying in touch with teachers and staff through virtual meetings and school gives parents all the necessary information.
Informing the school allows staff to take action if a child shares an issue. Parents who are unsure whether an incident is bullying or typical conflict can consult school counselors for advice.
Foster Inclusivity at Home
Children develop empathy by learning to understand different perspectives. Guiding them to see other viewpoints encourages kindness if they mention a classmate they don’t get along with. Avoiding negative comments about others and handling conflicts calmly teaches children how to interact with peers.
Creating a Support System
Parents are not left alone, and we understand bullying is a complex topic. Some parents may not be aware of what bullying is. That is why our specialists offer many resources and support to help parents understand the issue and assist their children in time.
Students and parents add to Legacy Online School’s anti-bullying culture by engaging in community efforts. Our school holds different meetings created to explain bullying and what to do if it is detected. Legacy Online School also gives interactive programs where families discuss bullying prevention.
Everyone in the Legacy Online School’s family tries to create a safe and supportive learning environment. Students watch out for each other, parents stay aware, and the school provides guidance and resources.
Reporting Mechanisms
Legacy Online School promotes a “see something, say something” approach where students and parents feel safe reporting bullying. Multiple reporting channels are available.
Students and parents submit reports securely at any time through the confidential online form on our website. The form collects details such as who was involved, what happened, when and where it occurred (including the online platform), and any supporting evidence like screenshots or messages. Reports can be submitted anonymously if the reporter fears retaliation.
Students report bullying by speaking directly to a trusted adult. Kids talk to a teacher, advisor, counselor, or school administrator about any bullying they experience or witness. Parents contact the Learning Support Specialist to report concerns. Teachers and staff take all reports seriously and forward them to the administration for investigation.
Administrators investigate every report. Administrators gather information confidentially, review chat logs or messages if needed, and interview involved students, including the victim, the alleged bully, and any witnesses. All reports get prompt attention, and student privacy remains protected.
Students who report bullying in good faith never face punishment. Legacy Online School values those who speak up because bystanders who report or intervene help stop bullying.
Students who make false reports to harm others face consequences. Reporting must be truthful and used to protect the school community.
Conclusion and Call to Action
Bullying in online spaces happens often and should not become normal. Legacy Online School ensures everyone in our school respects and supports each other. Our school expects the same active stance from students and parents because only together can we create an environment where every student feels comfortable and safe.
Legacy Online School has developed specific values and approaches to prevent bullying in the online space. You can read more about our policy here.
