Bullying Prevention and Response

• Bullying happens when someone hurts, scares, or harasses another person to harm them, and the person being bullied has a hard time defending him/herself. Bullying includes an unequal balance of power between the person(s) engaging in bullying behaviors and the person(s) who are experiencing bullying.

• In most cases, bullying happens over and over. Bullying may also take place outside of school, including on social media and through communications like calls, texts, emails, and direct messages.

• Bullying is prohibited by Illinois law and is a violation of the CPS Student Code of Conduct.

The CPS Addressing Bullying and Bias-Based Behavior Policy defines bullying and outlines the specific steps schools must take to prevent these behaviors and address concerns related to student bullying.

• Unexplainable injuries, or lost or destroyed clothing, books, electronics, or jewelry
• Frequent headaches or stomach aches, feeling sick or faking illness
• Changes in eating habits, like suddenly skipping meals or binge eating
• Difficulty sleeping or frequent nightmares
• Declining grades, loss of interest in schoolwork, or not wanting to go to school
• Sudden loss of friends or avoidance of social situations
• Feelings of helplessness, decreased self-esteem, or suicidal thoughts and behaviors

Bullying

• Notify the school principal as quickly as possible. Do not contact the person targeting your child.
• You may also report bullying to any CPS employee in person, or by calling the 24/7 CPS Student Safety Center hotline at 773-553-3335, or by emailing BullyingReport@cps.edu.
• Parents/guardians with concerns about the implementation of a bullying investigation by their child’s school may contact the Network Chief of Schools or their designee. Contact information for each school’s Network is available at www.cps.edu/Networks.

Bias-Based Harm

• The Office of Student Protections and Title IX (OSP) supports schools in addressing Bias-Based Behavior.
• Reports of Bias-Based Behavior can be reported directly to a student’s school or directly to OSP by emailing osp@cps.edu or calling 773-535-4400.
• View more ways to report harmful behavior, including discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation.

Sexual Harassment or Misconduct

• The Office of Student Protections and Title IX (OSP) works to prevent and address sexual harassment or misconduct in schools.
• Reports of sexual harassment or misconduct can be reported directly to a student’s school or directly to OSP by emailing osp@cps.edu or calling 773-535-4400.
• View more ways to report harmful behavior, including discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation.
  
  

CPS provides schools with evidence-based, age-appropriate Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) models and programs to ensure students learn skills that help them in school and in life. These skills include:

• Managing and understanding their emotions
• Understanding and being able to relate to others
• Making responsible decisions

In CPS, SEL specialists across the district provide training and work with school teams and educators to implement flexible, research-backed approaches that integrate social-emotional skills development into academic routines, instruction, and learning design across content areas.

Elementary and Middle School

• Additionally, CPS provides elementary schools (Pre-K through 8th Grade) with access to the Second Step curriculum to support Social and Emotional Learning (SEL).
• Click these links to view sample Elementary and Middle School lessons and materials. Scopes and sequences for Second Step’s core curricula and Bullying Prevention Units are also viewable here.
• Some schools choose to implement other evidence-based SEL programs to replace or supplement Second Step.

High School Level

• At the high school level, some schools implement the Wayfinder model to teach SEL, while others choose other explicit, integrated instructional approaches.
• Click here to learn more about the Wayfinder program.

Parents and caregivers can contact schools directly for additional information about the particular models and strategies they use to teach SEL.

• Bias-Based Behavior is defined as any physical, verbal, nonverbal, or other act or conduct, including communications made in writing or electronically, that is directed toward a member or perceived member of a Protected Category — such as race, gender expression, sexual orientation, or immigration status — within the school community that is of a discriminatory or harmful nature.
• The Office of Student Protections and Title IX (OSP) supports schools in preventing and addressing Bias-Based Behavior. Reports of Bias-Based Behavior can be reported directly to a student’s school or directly to OSP. Click here to learn more about OSP or to make a report of Bias-Based Behavior.
• To ensure staff and students are aware of bias-based behavior, how to report it, and how to be an active bystander, OSP provides Active Bystander Intervention training and materials annually.

For students, CPS provides curriculum to increase students' sense of belonging and reduce bias-based harm. The objectives are:

1. Students will develop positive social identities based on their membership in multiple groups in society.
2. Students will respond to diversity by building empathy, respect, understanding, and connection
3. Students will recognize unfairness on the individual level (e.g., biased speech)
4. Students will recognize their own responsibility to stand up to exclusion, prejudice, and injustice
5. Students will speak up with courage and respect when they or someone else has been hurt or wronged by bias.

CPS has also developed a Peer-to-Peer Bystander Intervention Program in partnership with a nonprofit group called Right to Be. By empowering peer educators to lead crucial conversations about intervention and support, CPS is addressing current challenges while building the foundation for lasting cultural change.

For staff, there is an annual mandatory training on recognizing and reporting bias-based behavior and being an Active Bystander. These trainings are intended to inform, engage, and empower staff to make good decisions, to model and promote healthy relationships, and to prepare them to help them to help students in the event that a student experiences harm.

Click here for resources and information on how CPS works to provide a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment for our LGBTQ+ students.

View the LGBTQ+ Supportive Environments web page for resources and information on how CPS works to provide a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment for our LGBTQ+ students.