Bullying and harassment based on race, national origin, disability, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity continue to be persistent, unaddressed problems in school districts across Pennsylvania.

ELC-PA offers several resources and tools for families, students and child-serving professionals to use when addressing bullying and harassment in their school communities.

• The Right to Be Free From Bullying and Harassment is a fact sheet that explains what parents, guardians, and students can do to address bullying and harassment. This fact sheet is also available in Spanish (Español) and Chinese (中文). (Updated versions coming soon.)
• The Model Safety Plan and Possible Interventions provides a sample safety plan schools can implement as well as possible interventions you may wish to request as part of the safety plan.
• The Safety Plan Options worksheet includes items to consider adding to a Safety Plan or special education plan (IEP) to address bullying or harassment.
• The Template for Keeping Records of Incidents provides a space for recording notes each time your child tells you they have been bullied or harassed to help build a complete record of reported behaviors
• The Self-Advocacy Tool: Request for Bullying/Harassment Investigation can be used if your child’s school does not already use a specific form to report bullying and harassment. Schools could also consider adopting this form.
• The Self-Advocacy Tool: Bullying and Harassment Complaint Form Checklist can be used to make a complaint to your child’s school in writing to the principal, your child’s main classroom teacher(s), and to your child’s 504 team or IEP team when they experience bullying or harassment.
• If your child experiences harassment in school based on race, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, family status or sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation) and the school has failed to respond appropriately, you may be eligible to submit a complaint for discrimination under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act. Read more in this explainer, How to File a Complaint to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.

Additional resources related to bullying and harassment can also be found in our Back to School Guide here.

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