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Youth Bullying Prevention Program

 
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What Is the Youth Bullying Prevention Program?

The Youth Bullying Prevention Program – created in June 2013 – aims to reduce incidents of bullying across the District by emphasizing prevention and proper procedures for responding when incidents occur. The program works with youth-serving government agencies, District schools and youth-serving government grantees to ensure bullying prevention policies are adopted and implemented in ways consistent with the best practices adopted by the Youth Bullying Prevention Task Force. The best practices are demonstrated in the Task Force’s District-wide Model Bullying Prevention Policy, released in January of 2013.
 
The philosophy of the model policy and program discourages an overreliance on discipline and instead adopts a public health approach focused on prevention, supporting at-risk youth and addressing incidents to change behavior. Program staff coordinates high-level trainings, advises stakeholders as they develop curriculum, and evaluates existing initiatives aimed at bullying prevention. The groundbreaking District-wide approach – moving beyond just in-school prevention – makes it one of the most unique and far-reaching government bullying prevention programs in the nation. 

Biennial Compliance Reports

The Youth Bullying Prevention Act of 2012 (YBPA; DC Code § 2-1535.03) and its implementing regulations require schools and other youth-serving organizations (including, but not limited to, government agencies, libraries, nonprofits, and community centers) to adopt comprehensive antibullying policies, implement thorough reporting and investigation procedures, provide training for staff, and maintain and report incident data. The law further requires the Mayor to report to Council the current implementation of the Act and to provide a summary of the status of bullying in the District of Columbia (DC) on a biennial basis. The most recent biennial report can be viewed below and previous reports can be found here.

Quarterly Newsletters

The Youth Bullying Prevention Program issues quarterly highlights to designated points of contact within district schools. The newsletters provide the latest tips, tools, and resources to aide in creating a productive and safe school environment. The 2023 newsletters can be viewed below and previous years' can be found here.

Bullying Prevention Training Information and Materials


Tipsheets and Resources

Contact Information

If you'd like to request a training or presentation, if you're a parent that needs support, or you have any questions about the Youth Bullying Prevention Program program, contact us at [email protected]

 

This webpage was updated on September 24, 2024.