The School Board of Broward County has one of the nation’s most comprehensive Anti-Bullying policies. Policy 5.9, adopted on July 22, 2008, helps to ensure all students feel safe and respected while attending school. The District’s Anti-Bullying Policy specifically prohibits bullying of or by any District student or employee. The policy defines “Bullying” as systematically and chronically inflicting physical hurt or psychological distress on one or more students or employees.

To be determined to be bullying, the behavior must include all three elements. It must be:

R – Repeated (more than once), have an
I – Imbalance of Power (involve or be characterized by), and be
P – Purposeful (intent to do harm).

The policy sets forth guidelines for the identification and reporting of bullying as well as a timeline for the investigation and appeals process. The Anti-Bullying Policy was developed by a District task force including district staff, school staff, as well as community and parent partners. For more information and to view tools to the policy, please see below.

Policy 5.9 Training Modules

The Policy 5.9 annual training modules for Students, Staff and Parents are on the Training Modules webpage.

Policy 5.9

• Anti-Bullying Policy 5.9 English
• Haitian Creole
• Portuguese
• Spanish

Other Policy Related Forms

• Investigation Flow Chart for Staff & Students
• Appeal Bullying Flow Chart for Staff & Students
• Bullying Complaint Report Form
• Hope Scholarship Flow Chart
• What to do if my child is being bullied? Here are some suggestions, but our hope is you will tell school staff as soon as you have any concerns.
• BCPS is committed to providing the highest quality education in a safe, respectful and violence-free environment. This authorized Bullying Prevention Curriculum & Programs List includes evidence-based interventions, curriculums and proven programs available to BCPS staff. 

Do you want to make an Anonymous Online Report?
Click here to go to SIU’s Online Anonymous Tip-line or use one of these reporting apps.

Law
Florida’s Anti-Bullying Law

Anonymous reports can be made to Broward County Public School’s Special Investigative Unit, FortifyFL, or SaferWatch. These services are designed to help us anonymously and securely report anything that we fear might endanger us at school. Tips can be made via phone, text, or email with SUI, and these reporting apps. If there is an emergency, dial 911.

Bullying and harassment are two of the Hope Scholarship Program's eligible incidents.

The Hope Scholarship Program is a state of Florida school choice program. Any BCPS student who reports they were the victim of a qualified incident at a K-12 public school, any school related or school-sponsored program or activity, riding the bus, or waiting at the bus stop is eligible. Learn more about Hope here or on the Florida Department of Education's website.

BCPS is committed to providing the highest quality education in a safe, respectful and violence-free environment. This authorized List of Bullying Prevention & Intervention Programs & Curriculum includes evidence-based interventions, curriculums and proven programs available to BCPS staff. Please Note: A program or website being mentioned here does not imply endorsement by the School Board of Broward County and does not necessarily reflect its views. Contact the program developers directly for the most current information. 

The ‘ABC’s of Bullying Prevention Book’ contains three bullying prevention lessons for every grade level designed to be taught each year, over the school life of each Broward County student.

Anti-Defamation League has numerous excellent resources on diversity and tolerance.

Anti-drug Parents

Best Practices of Youth Violence Prevention describes the effectiveness of specific violence prevention practices in four key areas: parents and families; home visiting; social and conflict resolution skills; and mentoring. It includes practical suggestions from professionals and advocates who have successfully started these programs in their communities.

bullyinginfo.org: Find Youth Info has info on all federal resources on bullying.

CDC School Health Guidelines to Prevent Unintentional Injuries and Violence. Students have the right to learn in a safe and protective school environment. These guidelines were designed to help education agencies and schools promote safety and make schools safe places for students to learn.

Bullying prevention activities from the National Crime Prevention Council.

Common Sense Media has lessons on online safety, cyber citizenship, and cyberbullying grades K-12.

Division of Violence Prevention’s website highlighting resources for school violence. This site includes a number of resources including fact sheets, tips for coping with stress, data resources, prevention resources, and current CDC research on youth interpersonal violence.

First Call for Help, 211 Broward: “Help is Just a Phone Call Away!” A 24-hour, free, confidential telephone Helpline for crisis/suicide counseling, empathetic listening and community information and referrals for health and human services resources in Broward County. Just Dial 2-1-1 or (954) 537-0211.

Florida Department of Education

GLSEN: The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, is a leading national education organization working to create safe schools for ALL students.

FREE Prevention Resources is a list of materials and curriculum divided into the strands of prevention.

Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT) can help school districts, schools, and others conduct a clear, complete, and consistent analysis of health education curricula based on the National Health Education Standards and CDC’s Characteristics of Effective Health Education Curricula.

Health Teacher offers numerous free lessons related to health including bullying.

It’s OK to Feel Different is a Teaching Tolerance activity for students grades K-5 that shows how bullying is not OK.

Mix It Up at Lunch Day – see also Teaching Tolerance.

National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP), a service of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has information on research based curriculums and proven programs.

Olweus Bullying Prevention Program is a well researched and proven program for bullying prevention.

Pacer’s National Center for Bullying Prevention has classroom lessons, coloring books, posters, and other resources for all ages.

Peace Corps has lesson plans on peace and culture.

School Health Index can help schools implement school health guidelines and related strategies through this self-assessment and planning tool.

SERAPH Problem Solving Company, School Safety in America, “A Well Managed School is a Safe School”.

StopBullying.gov provides information, videos and lessons on how to prevent or stop bullying.

Surgeon General’s report on youth violence: This report uses a public health approach to examine the issue of youth interpersonal violence. It examines the factors that lead young people to gravitate toward violence, reviews the factors that protect youth from perpetrating violence and identifies 27 effective research-based preventive strategies.

Talking with Students about Race Resources

Teaching Tolerance has numerous classroom activities and teaching kits with videos.

Quality data fundamentally underpins all the best resources and service provision. We use data to make informed decisions about critical needs and shapes our prevention and intervention efforts. View the data we use related to violence prevention.

The purpose of the Rule Development Forum: School Board Policy 5.9 Anti-Bullying is to complete a 3-year review of Policy 5.9 with the guidance of the Department of Education (DOE) and State mandates. Information and guidance from the DOE can be found at http://www.fldoe.org/safe-schools/bullying-prevention.stml.

The documents being reviewed are (forms updated due to Hope Scholarship State Statute changes made in July, 2021):

• The School Board Policy 5.9, revised Policy 5.9 (revised and posted 1/19/21)
• Summary of Changes Matrix Policy 5.9 (revised and posted 1/19/21)
• The Appeals Flowchart (revised and posted 1/19/21)
• The Student and Staff Investigation Flowchart (revised and posted 1/19/21)
• The Hope Scholarship Program flowchart (revised and posted 1/19/21)
• The Parent Investigation Flowchart (revised and posted 1/19/21)