Fighting back against bullying and harassment

by Charles Hueter

As we are all too aware, the school environment is not immune from inappropriate behavior. Students often intimidate each other for petty reasons. Faculty and staff have, from simple miscommunications or plain spite, gone beyond jokes into the realm of aggressive heckling. It is bad enough when these things happen; yet it is even worse when adult misconduct mixes with the adolescent population.

Aside from clearly crossing ethical boundaries and ruining reputations, these issues are expensive to fix. Employees distracted from their normal work routines, resources spent dealing with the media and administering claims, and the potentially enormous cost of litigation all add up fast. So how about preventing these problems before they occur?

As part of the TASB Risk Management Fund's tradition of returning value back to its members, the Fund Board approved a Special Loss Prevention Award that helps tackle the issue of inappropriate behavior before it becomes a problem. Members renewing their Property/Casualty coverage in general liability or school professional legal liability will receive a free copy of Bullying and Harassment in Schools, a training program created by the TASB Legal Services Division. This program is split into two parts: a DVD containing five video training modules and a CD-ROM containing shortened guides for student and staff consumption, in-depth references for administrators, and suggestions on how to best use the training provided. A sample training sign-in sheet is also provided, because of the importance of keeping and maintaining this kind of documentation.

These programs normally cost TASB members $250. The TASB Risk Management Fund is not only giving away a complimentary copy to eligible members, but extra copies of the DVD are just $15 and the cost of the DVD/CD set is only $25. The program recipients are invited to duplicate the written materials on the CD as often as they'd like, but the videos on the DVD may not be copied.

This is a fantastic opportunity to take a proactive step against a serious problem. The Fund recognizes the need to reduce the millions of dollars in costs incurred in our legal liability programs, and this training package should counter the harassment experienced by both students and staff. If you have any questions regarding the DVD award, call Edwin W. Thompson, director of Loss Prevention Services, at 800.482.7276, extension 6227.