Making Sense of HEA 1423

Bully Prevention and Intervention

Presented by: Brian Dobias & Dr. Brandie
Oliver

The Why Behind the Bill

According to the Centers for Disease Controls

2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey:
Indiana ranks 3 in the nation for incidences of
electronic bullying and bullying on school
property
rd

1 in 4 students had been bullied at school during the past

12 months prior to the survey
1 in 5 students had been bullied electronically during the
past 12 months prior to the survey
1 in 20 youth did not go to school in the past 30 days prior to
the survey for fear of safety at school or going to and from
school

More Statistics

Long Term Impact: Studies from the National

School Safety Center reported that 60 percent of
students who were identified as school bullies
ended up with a criminal record by age 24.
Bullying Violence: New research on 37 school
shootings, including Columbine, found that
almost three-quarters of student shooters felt
bullied, threatened, attacked or injured by others.
In fact, several shooters reported experiencing
long-term and severe bullying and harassment
from their peers. Source: Secret Service and the
U.S. Department of Education

Keeping Kids Safe

Bullying is a form of peer aggression, just like

dating and gang violence, and is an adverse
childhood experience (ACE) that can lead to poor
physical and mental health in adulthood,
including post-traumatic stress disorder.
However, research has shown that minimizing
exposure to ACEs can greatly improve outcomes
for youth. Schools, parents, communities and
youth can all play a part in creating solutions to
reduce peer aggression. If provided with the
appropriate research-based tools and resources,
bullying and other forms of peer aggression can
be greatly reduced.

Indianas Response to Bullying

During the 2013 legislative session, the General
Assembly passed HEA 1423, and the Governor
signed P.L. 285-2013 into law.
This law changed the definition of bullying and
established bullying prevention and intervention
program requirements for the Indiana Department
of Education (IDOE) and school corporations.

Benefits of the Bill For Students

Students

can feel confident if a bullying incident occurs

that all adults in the school are trained and prepared to
respond appropriately
Students that have been identified as exhibiting bullying
behavior will be provided appropriate interventions
Students that have been the target of bullying will be
provided appropriate support and resources
This bill will help ensure a safer school environment
allowing students to focus on academics
Students will have developmentally appropriate bullying
prevention education

Benefits of the Bill For Schools

They

can benefit from guidance on researchbased practices to prevent and intervene in

bullying incidents
Reducing aggressive behaviors among
students will create a safer school environment
for students and teachers
Clearer definition of bullying and investigative
measures so schools have documentation of
reported incidents; not all reported incidents
will be determined bullying

Requirements for the IDOE

In collaboration with school safety specialists and school
counselors:
1. Provide materials and guidelines to assist a safe school

committee in developing a plan and policy that addresses

school safety and professional development needs.
2. Prepare outlines or materials for age appropriate, research

based bullying prevention instruction.

3. Establish categories of types of bullying incidents to allow

school corporations to use the categories in making reports.

4. Periodically review each school corporation policy adopted

under this section to ensure compliance.

Anti-Bullying Summer Task Group

Task group formed on June 3, 2013
Target completion date : July 26, 2013
Goals:

1.

Create a website with information and materials to

guide and support school corporations with:
a.
b.

Minimal compliance with the law

Development of Effective, Comprehensive Bully
Prevention and Intervention Programs

Design the website to be organic in nature

3. Provide tools such as PowerPoints, webinars, sample
lessons, etc
4. Meet the 8 week deadline
2.

Anti-Bullying Summer Task Group

Challenges
1. What constitutes research based?

2.

How do schools prevent over reporting due to new

staff accountability requirements?

3.

Bully prevention curriculum based on proven

theoretical foundation, with some measures of
effectiveness

Recognized the need for schools to educate

stakeholders on specific definitions of bullying
behaviors

How do schools meet the Oct 15th deadline?

Minimal Compliance / Better / Best model

Website Live on august 5th

Resources to meet the requirements of this
legislation can be found here:
http://www.doe.in.gov/student-services/bullyingprevention-intervention-indiana

Requirements for Local Schools

1.

Report the number of bullying incidents reported under IC

20-34-6 (student safety reporting) by category.

2.

Provide training to the school corporations employees and

volunteers who have direct, ongoing contact with students
concerning the schools bullying prevention and reporting
policy adopted under IC 20-33-8-13.5.

3.

Not later than October 15 of each year, each public school

shall provide age appropriate, research based instruction as
provided under IC 5-2-10.1-12(d)(1) focusing on bullying
prevention for all students in grades 1-12. Instruction may
be delivered by a school safety specialist, school counselor,
or any other person with training and expertise in the area of
bullying prevention and intervention.

Requirements for Local Schools

4.

Discipline rules adopted by the governing body of a school

corporation must include a detailed procedure for the
expedited investigation of incidents of bullying that includes:
a. appropriate responses to bullying behaviors, wherever
the behaviors occur;
b. provisions for anonymous and personal reporting of
bullying to a teacher or other school staff;
c. timetables for reporting of bullying incidents to the
parents of both the targeted student and the bully, in
an expedited manner;
d. timetables for reporting of bullying incidents to school
counselors, school administrators, the superintendent,
or law enforcement, if it is determined that reporting
the bullying incident to law enforcement is necessary;

Requirements for Local Schools

e.

f.
g.

discipline provisions for teachers, school staff,

or school administrators who fail to initiate or
conduct an investigation of a bullying incident;
and
discipline provisions for false reporting of
bullying; and
a detailed procedure outlining the use of followup services that includes:
I. support services for the victim; and
II. bullying education for the bully.

Requirements for Local Schools

*The discipline rules may be applied regardless of the

physical location in which the bullying behavior occurred,

whenever:

the individual committing the bullying behavior and any of the

intended targets of the bullying behavior are students

attending a school within a school corporation; and
disciplinary action is reasonably necessary to avoid

substantial interference with school discipline or prevent an

unreasonable threat to the rights of others to a safe and
peaceful learning environment.
A record made of an investigation, a disciplinary action, or a

follow-up action performed under rules adopted under this

section is not a public record under IC 5-14-3.

Bullying Prevention and the Law

Bullying is defined for Indiana schools in HEA 1423

IC 20-33-8-0.2 Bullying means:

Overt (intentional) unwanted, repeated acts or gestures

including:
Verbal or Written communication, or images transmitted in
any manner (including digitally or electronically)
Physical acts committed, aggression, or any other behaviors
that are committed by a student or group of students against
another student with the intent to
Harass, ridicule, humiliate, intimidate, or harm the
targeted student and
Create for the targeted student an objectively hostile
school environment

Identification of Bullying

Bullying behavior must be identified using all of the components

of the definition in HEA 1423:
Repeated behavior
Intention to cause harm
Creation of objectively hostile learning environment
(Imbalance of Power)

Schools should include in their education, policies, and

procedures ways to help students and staff identify when a
situation is NOT bullying
Peer conflict
Horseplay
Fighting

Bullying is considered to be a form of abuse mutual conflict where

both parties participate equally is not considered Bullying

Types of Bullying

(Categories of Bullying for

IDOE Reporting Requirements)

Physical

Verbal

Social/Relational

Electronic or Written Communication

Combination of Categories

Comprehensive Anti-Bullying Program

Increase Awareness
Coordination of Services
Ongoing
Evaluation

Source: Early Identification and Intervention. Bullying Prevention, by Dr. Russell Skiba,
Indiana Education Policy Center

Summary
Bullying in schools is everyones problem.
As we move forward.
1.Focus on school corporation compliance with HEA
1423 by developing policy, protocols and a delivery
plan for age appropriate, research-based bully
prevention curriculum.
2.Utilize resources provided through the IDOE
Bullying Prevention and Intervention Website
3.Move beyond minimal compliance by developing
an effective, comprehensive bully prevention and
intervention program

Anti-Bullying Summer Task Group

Members
Co-Facilitators

Dr. Brandie Oliver Asst. Professor - Butler University Counselor Ed Program

Brian Dobias Counselor SACS -Homestead HS

Members

Jeff Ziegler Principal & School Safety Specialist - Jimtown HS

Marcia Staser Coordinator of Student Support Services Evansville Vanderburgh School
Corp
Justine Pond District Safety specialist Marion HS
Floyd Peterson Indianapolis Public Schools Police Dept.

Members

(continued)
Pam Pulls Social Worker - Monroe County Community School Corporation
Bridget Hand Counselor Westview Elementary Muncie
Terry Thixton Counselor East Washington Elementary School
Jennifer Wallace Counselor - Marion High School
Danielle Tschida Counselor Marion High School
Gina Woodward School Counselor Clark-Pleasant MS Former IDOE
Kristen Martin Marion County Prosecutors Office

Indiana

Department of Education
Amanda Culhan Program Coordinator School Counseling
Michael Williams- Program Coordinator for School Social Work
David Woodward Program Coordinator for School Safety
Cathy Danyluk State Attendance Office & Asst. Director of Office of Student Services