JACKIE: Great job reaching out to Stephanie and connecting her with someone who can help! Any alleged bullying must be reported immediately. By acting quickly you can connect targeted students to support for adult intervention and, if needed, counseling services. This sends a clear message that aggressive bullying behavior will have serious consequences.
After their conversation, Mr. Campbell connected Stephanie with Ms. Dixon - the school’s Respect For All or RFA liaison. Stephanie described her situation and Ms. Dixon spoke with Jordan about his behavior. A bullying investigation began immediately. Ms. Dixon called Stephanie’s parents to let them know about the situation and what needed to be done, while Mr. Campbell made a followed-up call to inform how Stephanie can get back on track academically. He also checked in with Stephanie and the RFA liaison in the days to come to see how Stephanie was doing and make sure the situation was being resolved.
Best Follow-Up Practices:
Contact RFA Liaison for support
Follow-up with parents
Check-in with Stephanie and the RFA Liaison
Jordan was moved to another gym class, which made Stephanie feel safer. Mr. Campbell saw improvement in her mood by the following week. She no longer excused herself to the nurse’s office and started to participate more in class.
Even if your own students are reluctant to share, it is always important to notice and act on warning signs. By reaching out, Mr. Campbell kept the situation from escalating, prevented long-term impacts on Stephanie’s mental health and academics, and helped Stephanie be better equipped to handle future challenges.