“The result is that anti-bullying messages are delivered consistently in many contexts. Over time, this can change a school culture.”


~Olweus Bullying Prevention Program Participants


Olweus Bullying Prevention Program Dignity for All


Students Legislation By Katie McFarland, Franklinville Central School and CA BOCES


New York State’s Dignity for All Students Act (The Dignity Act) seeks to provide the State’s public elementary and secondary school students with a safe and supportive environment free from discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment, and bullying on school property, a school bus and/or at a school function. The Dignity Act was signed into law on September 13, 2010 and takes effect on July 1, 2012. Under the Dignity Act, schools will be responsible for collecting and reporting data regarding material incidents of discrimination and harassment by using the annual summary of violent and disruptive incidents form.


In response to the needs of districts to compile this data and information, CA BOCES has become a training provider for the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP). OBPP is a school wide program designed to prevent or reduce bullying throughout the school setting. The multi-component approach involves individuals, classrooms, entire schools, as well as parents and communities, to successfully address bullying in schools. OBPP is the most researched and probably best- known bullying prevention program available today. Developed by Dan Olweus of Norway, one of the co-authors of this guide, OBPP has over thirty-five years of research


www.caboces.org/iss behind it. It is recognized by the Center for the Study and


Prevention of Violence as one of only eleven (at the time of publication) Blueprints Model Programs and by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as a Model Program--two of the highest honors a prevention program can attain.


The goals of the program are: • to reduce existing bullying problems among students • to prevent the development of new bullying problems • to achieve better peer relations at school •


The Olweus program involves everyone who comes into contact with students—teachers, administrators, support staff, cafeteria workers, custodians, transportation staff, parents and more. We look forward to providing this service to our component schools. For more information about how your district can learn more about this training please contact Katie McFarland at Katie_McFarland@caboces.org or call 716-376-8301. For additional resources and more information about the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program visit www.olweus.org .


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8