Board of Education Bullying Policies
JDHB - Bullying (English)
JDHB SP - Intimidación o Acoso Escolar (Bullying) (Spanish)
SCHOOLS: add something school specific in here about how students should reach out to their counselors for the below issues. The below is also district shared content. You can delete but not edit. You can also add additional content boxes.
Any written text or image, or verbal expression, or physical or electronic act or gesture, or a pattern thereof, that is intended to coerce, intimidate, or cause any physical, mental, or emotional harm to any student.
Bullying involving the use of communication technologies such as computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices to support deliberate and hostile behavior intended to do harm to others. Examples of cyberbullying can be in the form of text messages, instant messaging, emails, threatening or embarrassing photos or videos, and any use of any social media platform.
Look for changes in the child. However, be aware that not all children who are bullied exhibit warning signs.
Some signs that may point to a bullying problem are:
If you know someone in serious distress or danger, don’t ignore the problem. Get help right away.
Kids may be bullying others if they:
Bullying prevention efforts are most effective when implemented school-wide and designed to send a message that bullying will not be tolerated in schools. Well-designed bullying prevention efforts can reduce, eliminate and prevent bully/victim problems, as well as significantly improve the overall school climate. Effective bullying prevention also requires a commitment on the part of all adults to reduce or eliminate bullying and accessible reporting procedures for victims and witnesses.
Effective prevention programs may be implemented at the school level or the classroom level. The use of prevention programs may vary according to maturity level of students, grade level, learning environment goal(s) for the school, etc.
Monitoring data related to bullying is crucial to the bullying prevention efforts. Data shall be collected and may be evaluated through surveys, questionnaires, analyzing discipline statistics, and data collected for school social emotional learning goal(s).
All kids involved in bullying--whether they are bullied, bully others, or witness bullying--may experience negative outcomes including impacts on mental health, substance abuse and suicide. Parents, school staff and community all play a role in supporting our students when providing for their physical, social and emotional needs. A variety of resources are available regarding bullying prevention:
Ø ADL - Bullying and Cyberbullying Prevention Strategies and Resources
Four lesson unit that teaches students how to recognize, respond to and report bullying behaviors, and build their bystander power skills. All BVSD Students engage in these lessons, Kindergarten through 5th Grade.
Two week unit that teaches students how to recognize, respond to and report bullying behaviors, and build their upstander skills. All BVSD 7th grade students engage in these lessons via their health class.
Two week unit that teaches students how to recognize, respond to and report bullying behaviors, and build their upstander skills. All high school students engage in this learning as part of the required high school health class.
All administrators, teachers, classified staff, parents/guardians and students should take all reasonable steps to prevent and address bullying.
If there is immediate threat to your child or others call call 911 immediately.
Colorado Crisis Services
1-844-493-8255
Text "TALK" to 38255
JDHB - Bullying (English)
JDHB SP - Intimidación o Acoso Escolar (Bullying) (Spanish)
To report bullying, complete this form. The school administrator will promptly conduct an investigation and provide the parent/guardian a report after the investigation is complete. If you have any questions, please contact your school’s principal.
Grief is personal. There is no right or wrong way to grieve. How people grieve can be influenced by developmental level, cultural traditions, religious beliefs, mental health, disabilities, family, personal characteristics, and previous experiences.
Grief is not solely related to the death of a loved one. The symptoms, characteristics, and process of grieving can be similar after other types of loss (e.g., divorce, transition, moving).
Grief is often characterized by sadness, emotional pain, and introspection in adults. However, children’s grief reactions differ according to age and developmental level:
Preschool
Regressive behaviors, decreased verbalization, increased anxiety
Elementary
Decreased academic performance, attention/concentration, and attendance; irritability, aggression, and disruptive behaviors; somatic complaints; sleep/eating disturbances; social withdrawal; guilt, depression, and anxiety; repeated re-telling of the event
Middle and High School
Decreased academic performance, attention/concentration, and attendance; avoidance, withdrawal, high risk behaviors or substance abuse, difficulty with peer relations, nightmares, flashbacks, emotional numbing or depression
Grieving does not have a timeline. Schools should be aware of anniversaries, birthdays, developmental milestones, and other factors that could affect students months or years after the loss.
Grieving involves meeting specific milestones. Individuals are likely to experience (and often re-experience) some or all of the following adjustments/responses:
Grieving is an absolutely normal response to loss – but more assistance may be required when someone shows the following behaviors:
Source: National Association of School Psychologists
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Suicide Prevention
CDC: Preventing Suicide Fact Sheet PDF
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Rise Against Suicide (free mental health therapy for uninsured or underinsured youth struggling with suicidal thoughts)
If there is immediate threat to your child or others call call 911 immediately.
Colorado Crisis Services
1-844-493-8255
Text "TALK" to 38255
JDHB - Bullying (English)
JDHB SP - Intimidación o Acoso Escolar (Bullying) (Spanish)
To report bullying, complete this form. The school administrator will promptly conduct an investigation and provide the parent/guardian a report after the investigation is complete. If you have any questions, please contact your school’s principal.
Substance abuse and problematic patterns of substance use among youth can lead to problems at school, cause or aggravate physical and mental health-related issues, promote poor peer relationships, cause motor-vehicle accidents, and place stress on the family. They can also develop into lifelong issues such as substance dependence, chronic health problems, and social and financial consequences.
Substance abuse is the harmful pattern of using substances—such as tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs, and prescription drugs—leading to impairment or distress with one or more of the following behaviors:
One of the most highly abused substances among youth in the U.S. is alcohol. Youth engage in binge drinking more than adults do. This can lead to risky and potentially harmful behaviors, and many times substance abuse (60-75 percent of youth with substance abuse problems) co-occurs with mental health disorders.
Substance use, abuse, and dependence can negatively impact every aspect of an individual’s life.
The good news is youth substance use is preventable.
Protective factors may lessen the likelihood of youth using substances.
BVSD's prevention programming is focused on increasing Protective Factors and reducing Risk Factors.
If there is immediate threat to your child or others call call 911 immediately.
Colorado Crisis Services
1-844-493-8255
Text "TALK" to 38255
JDHB - Bullying (English)
JDHB SP - Intimidación o Acoso Escolar (Bullying) (Spanish)
To report bullying, complete this form. The school administrator will promptly conduct an investigation and provide the parent/guardian a report after the investigation is complete. If you have any questions, please contact your school’s principal.
The BVSD community is dedicated to health and wellness of the whole child, following the whole child model. Vaping has been on the rise and is being addressed through a multi-faceted approach between BVSD, community partners and families.
Have you seen your kid’s USB flash drive lately? It could actually be an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) containing nicotine. E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. middle and high school students, and USB-shaped e-cigarettes are increasing in popularity.
E-cigarettes, or “vapes,” can explode and cause serious injury. Although rare, these explosions are dangerous.
It is illegal for youth under 18 to buy or possess them in Colorado; it is also illegal for adults to sell or give them to anyone under 18.
The 2008 Tobacco Free Schools Law prohibits the use of tobacco products on school grounds by students, staff, and visitors. Tobacco products are defined as, “any product that contains nicotine or tobacco or is derived from tobacco and is intended to be ingested, inhaled, or applied to the skin of an individual.”
In Boulder County, e-cigarette components, including batteries and e-liquids can be disposed of at the Boulder County Hazardous Materials Management Facility.
To learn more about e-cigarettes, e-hookahs, and other tobacco-related products and issues, please contact Boulder County Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership (TEPP) staff at 303-413-7524.
Most suicides occur due to some form of mental condition, such as depression or a substance abuse disorder. These conditions are treatable and suicide is preventable.
Risk factors are characteristics that make it more likely that someone will consider, attempt, or die by suicide. They can't cause or predict a suicide attempt, but they're important to be aware of.
Some warning signs may help you determine if a loved one is at risk for suicide, especially if the behavior is new, has increased, or seems related to a painful event, loss, or change. If you or someone you know exhibits any of these, seek help by calling the Lifeline.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Suicide Prevention
CDC: Preventing Suicide Fact Sheet PDF
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Rise Against Suicide (free mental health therapy for uninsured or underinsured youth struggling with suicidal thoughts)
If there is immediate threat to your child or others call call 911 immediately.
Colorado Crisis Services
1-844-493-8255
Text "TALK" to 38255
JDHB - Bullying (English)
JDHB SP - Intimidación o Acoso Escolar (Bullying) (Spanish)
To report bullying, complete this form. The school administrator will promptly conduct an investigation and provide the parent/guardian a report after the investigation is complete. If you have any questions, please contact your school’s principal.
Youth violence is a public health problem that affects thousands of young people each day, and in turn, their families, schools, and communities.
Youth violence is connected to other forms of violence, including child abuse and neglect, teen dating violence, adult intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and suicide.
The good news is youth violence is preventable.
Protective factors may lessen the likelihood of youth violence victimization or perpetration.
BVSD's prevention programming is focused on increasing Protective Factors and reducing Risk Factors.
If there is immediate threat to your child or others call call 911 immediately.
Colorado Crisis Services
1-844-493-8255
Text "TALK" to 38255
National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH)
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
National Sexual Assault Telephone and Online Hotline
1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), Sexual violence affects hundreds of thousands of Americans each year.
It is defined as any unwanted, forced, or coerced sexual contact without the consent or against the will of another person. It can range from inappropriate touching to penetration. It includes the crimes of sexual assault, rape and sexual abuse.
LEARN MORE: Types of Sexual Violence
Sexual Assault 101
The Boulder Valley School District is committed to the safety and wellbeing of our students.
Victims of sexual harassment are encouraged to report the incident to an adult they trust, whether it is a school counselor, administrator or law enforcement. Reports can be made orally or in writing. Written reports can be made using the Board's Complaint form, AC-E2(English)/ AC-E2 (Spanish) or by email to TitleIX@bvsd.org.
https://www.bvsd.org/parents-students/be-ready/child-abuse-and-neglect-reporting
There is no place for this type of behavior in the halls of our schools or anywhere in BVSD. As a district we are taking action to better educate our students about sexual assault, consent and prevention.
Sexual Harassment Policy
It is essential that students and staff members have the confidence that the Boulder Valley School District will do everything in its power to protect victims and to take action against misconduct.
Over the past year, BVSD has been working to strengthen our sexual harassment policies (GBAA-English/ GBAA-Spanish and JBB) and investigation procedures (AC, AC-R, AC-E2 English). (AC, AC-R, AC-E2 Spanish)
Title IX
Title IX is a comprehensive federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity.
Regardless of whether sexual harassment (that includes sexual violence) occurs at school, Title IX obligates school districts to address any impact of that conduct on students that interferes with their ability to access their education. This means that schools must provide students with their Title IX rights and the contact information for adults at school who can respond to allegations of misconduct and put in place interim remedies to support impacted students. If students experience harassment or retaliation resulting from the exercise of their Title IX rights, then schools are legally obligated to take action to stop it from recurring.
In terms of Title IX investigations, the School District is obligated to investigate and take action to stop misconduct that is impacting students at school, but there is not a strict timeline for such investigations. When the same allegations are being investigated by law enforcement, then the School District wants to minimize potential trauma for students by using information from law enforcement's investigation as much as possible. Most often, we do this by, among other things, using information in police reports, juvenile petitions, and information shared by the DA’s office as the substantive information for the School District’s Title IX investigation while also providing due process to the involved parties as required by the U.S. Department of Education rules and regulations governing school districts. While law enforcement investigations and any related legal proceedings are being conducted, the School District’s focus is on providing interim remedies to support students.
Title IX Rights (English)
Title IX Rights (Spanish)
August 2020
Students and Title IX (September 16, 2021)
August 2021 (Users will need to create an account to view staff trainings)
If there is immediate threat to your child or others call call 911 immediately.
Colorado Crisis Services
1-844-493-8255
Text "TALK" to 38255
National Sexual Assault Telephone and Online Hotline
1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
AC: Nondiscrimination/Equal Opportunity (English | Spanish)
AC-R: Nondiscrimination/Equal Opportunity (Regulation) (English | Spanish)
AC-R-2: Sexual Harassment Investigation Procedures and Grievance Process (Title IX) (English | Spanish)
AC-E1: Nondiscrimination/Equal Opportunity (Exhibit 1) (English | Spanish)
AC-E2: Nondiscrimination/Equal Opportunity (Exhibit 2: Complaint Form) (English | Spanish)
GBAA: Sexual Harassment (English | Spanish)
Elizabeth Lundell
Equity Counsel/Title IX Coordinator
Boulder Valley School District
6500 Arapahoe Rd.
Boulder, CO 80301
720.561.8091
elizabeth.lundell@bvsd.org
titleIX@bvsd.org
Most adolescents experience positive mental health, but one in five has had a serious mental health disorder at some point in their life. Problems with mental health often start early in life. In fact, half of all mental health problems begin by age 14. The good news is that promoting positive mental health can prevent some problems from starting. For young people who already have mental health disorders, early intervention and treatment can help lessen the impact on their lives.
Mental health disorders can interfere with regular activities and daily functioning, such as relationships, schoolwork, sleeping, and eating. If you feel your child is experiencing a mental health concern talk to your school counselor or nurse, or find additional resources at Mental Health Partners.
If you or your child is experiencing a mental health crisis call: 1-844-493-TALK