Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesStart by checking the laws and district rules that apply to your school; then test whether students, families, and staff can understand the policy, report concerns, get a timely response, and see whether the response works. A strong policy is not just a definition and a list of punishments. It is a usable system for prevention, reporting, investigation, support, accountability, and ongoing review.
Begin with the rules that govern your school
In the United States, there is no single federal law specifically covering bullying, and state and local requirements differ. Many states require schools or districts to adopt policies and investigate and respond to reports, but the definitions, covered settings, and required procedures are not identical. Federal civil-rights duties may also apply when conduct involves discriminatory harassment. Disability-related obligations may be relevant as well.
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Before revising language, compare the current state statute, regulation, or model policy with district policy, the student handbook, and the code of conduct. Check applicable federal civil-rights and disability requirements, too. Assign someone to own that compliance review and record when it was completed. StopBullying.gov’s guidance is to “Make sure school rules and policies are consistent with state laws and the school district rules and policies.” Its laws summary was last reviewed February 5, 2025; verify current requirements with the relevant state and district authorities before adopting a revision.
This is a U.S.-specific review framework, not a universal legal checklist or advice for any particular jurisdiction. Do not assume the school’s policy must—or may—use the same definitions, deadlines, or coverage as another state’s.
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Check whether the policy is clear and complete
Use this checklist to find omissions and usability problems, then compare every item with local requirements. A policy should be understandable to students and families as well as staff who have to carry it out.
- Purpose: State the school’s commitment to student safety and learning.
- Scope: Explain who is covered and which settings are covered, including school, events, transportation, school technology, and off-campus conduct where applicable under governing rules.
- Definitions: Define bullying and cyberbullying in accessible language. Explain the distinction from ordinary conflict when the applicable definition requires it, and include direct and indirect behavior. Give examples that clarify rather than narrow the definition.
- Related conduct: Address protected characteristics where relevant, retaliation, and redistribution of harmful content in a way consistent with applicable law and policy.
- Reporting: Identify reporting routes, designated recipients, and whether anonymous reports are accepted or required. Make clear that students, families, staff, and other witnesses can report concerns.
- Response: Name who reviews reports, how an investigation is handled, and what prompt interim safeguards may be considered while facts are gathered.
- Communication and privacy: Explain how parents or guardians may be notified while respecting applicable confidentiality and student-privacy obligations.
- Support and accountability: Describe protective support for targeted students, referrals to counseling or other services when appropriate, and a graduated framework for consequences and interventions.
- Implementation: Set out staff responsibilities and training, age-appropriate student prevention education, family communication, and who is accountable for putting the policy into practice.
- Records and review: Explain how reports and responses are recorded, how patterns and outcomes are reviewed, and when the policy will be revisited.
These components reflect federal policy recommendations and StopBullying.gov’s catalog of state policy components; the catalog is not a substitute for checking the requirements in your jurisdiction. StopBullying.gov’s rules page was last reviewed September 28, 2017, so confirm its recommendations against current state and district rules.
Make reporting and response usable in practice
Give reporters a clear route to help
List the reporting channels in places students, families, and staff can find, and identify the person or role responsible for receiving each report. Explain what someone can do if the usual contact is unavailable or involved in the concern. If anonymous reporting is offered, clarify its limits: the school may have less ability to ask follow-up questions, but should still explain how it will consider information received.
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Define what happens after a report
Make responsibility legible: who receives the report, who assesses immediate safety, who gathers information, who records actions, and who follows up. Set a prompt process that complies with local requirements rather than promising a deadline that may conflict with them. Explain how the school will consider interim safeguards, parent or guardian communication, confidentiality, and protection from retaliation.
Pair accountability with support
Describe a graduated response and possible consequences, along with interventions intended to teach safer behavior. Provide for support to students targeted by conduct and referrals for involved students when appropriate. Do not make automatic suspension or expulsion the entire prevention strategy: StopBullying.gov’s research summary says zero-tolerance policies have not been effective at reducing bullying.
Test the policy against realistic reports
Walk through cases with the staff who would handle them. The point is not to predetermine outcomes; it is to find unclear handoffs, missing safeguards, or promises the school cannot reliably keep.
| Practice case | Questions the policy should answer |
|---|---|
| Repeated verbal harassment | Where can the student or family report it? Who decides what information to gather? How can the school address immediate safety and check whether the behavior stops? |
| Cyberbullying involving school peers | Does the policy explain whether and when online conduct falls within its scope? Who receives the report, documents it, and considers protection from further sharing or retaliation? |
| A witness report with no named target | Can staff receive and assess the report without a named student? What follow-up or monitoring is possible, and how is the information recorded? |
| A report involving a protected characteristic | Does the process identify who reviews possible discriminatory harassment and how relevant civil-rights obligations are considered alongside the school’s bullying procedures? |
For every case, check whether a student or family can find the reporting route, who acts next, how immediate safety is addressed, who documents the response, how confidentiality and retaliation are handled, and how follow-up checks whether the behavior stopped. Avoid writing a one-size-fits-all process that conflicts with local law.
Check that students, families, and staff can use it
A policy can be complete on paper and still fail if the people expected to use it do not understand it. Ask staff across roles—not only teachers—to explain how they recognize conduct covered by the rules, how they report it, and what they do next. StopBullying.gov recommends training all school staff on what bullying is, the rules, and how to enforce them.
Give students and families a short, accessible explanation of what conduct the policy covers, how to get help, and what to expect after reporting. Involve staff, students, families, and community stakeholders in policy review so the procedures reflect local conditions. CDC identifies empathy, conflict management, and teamwork as skills that school-based programs can strengthen; prevention education can incorporate these skills in age-appropriate ways.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Use evidence to improve the policy
Review incident records for patterns
Look across reports and responses for recurring locations, types of behavior, repeat reports, and differences in how concerns were handled. Records can help identify where supervision, communication, training, or procedures need attention. Limit access and use information in ways that protect student privacy.
Use surveys only with a response plan
A planned, age-appropriate survey can help assess how often students experience bullying, where it occurs, how adults and peers respond, and whether students feel safe. Decide in advance who will review the results, how findings will be handled, and what support or action may follow. For U.S. surveys, check applicable rules on parental notice, inspection, opt-out rights, and student-record privacy before collecting information.
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Adopt, communicate, and revisit the revision
Before approval, compare draft options against six practical tests: fit with current jurisdictional law; clarity for students, families, and staff; completeness of reporting and investigation steps; protection, support, and accountability; feasibility of training and implementation; and the ability to monitor outcomes while protecting privacy.
Record the policy owner, approval date, implementation steps, staff training plan, communication plan, data-review schedule, and next review date. Share the final policy in accessible formats. After implementation, monitor reports and school climate over time and use what the school learns to guide the next review.
Quick Recap
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