Wisconsin develops ‘Bullying Prevention Curriculum’

Classroom instructional units targeted to grades 3-5 and 6-8

“We must not tolerate bullying in Wisconsin schools. It is behavior that schools must address because it harms victims, bystanders, and the bullies themselves,” said State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster in introducing Wisconsin’s Bullying Prevention curriculum guides.

Although national reports indicate that school violence has decreased over the past decade, complaints about bullying behaviors have increased nationally. To address this school health and safety issue, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has developed two bullying prevention instructional units targeted to students in grades three through five and six through eight. In the appendices, the guides include bullying prevention policy guidelines schools and districts should consider in developing a policy related to the prevention of and response to bullying behaviors.

“Bullying has a detrimental effect on all students,” Burmaster said. “It negatively impacts the social, physical, psychological, and academic atmosphere of the school. It interferes with students’ connections with school, their engagement with the curriculum, and their overall ability to learn. Bullying prevention is critical to building a school environment that supports academic achievement and makes students feel safe at all times.”

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Last updated on 3/26/2007