The Citywide 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
- Youth Bullying Prevention in the District of Columbia: School Year 2019-2020 Compliance Report - The 2019-2020 report analyzes the impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on education, state of bullying prevention and reviews the rate of incidents of bullying in District public and public charter schools.
- Youth Bullying Prevention in the District of Columbia: School Year 2017-2018 Compliance Report - The 2017-2018 report analyzes the state of bullying prevention and reviews the rate of incidents of bullying in District public and public charter schools.
- Youth Bullying Prevention in District of Columbia: School Year 2015-2016 Compliance Report - The 2015-2016 report analyzes the state of bullying prevention and reviews the rate of incidents of bullying in District public and public charter schools.
- Youth Bullying Prevention in District of Columbia: School Year 2013-2014 Compliance Report - The 2013-2014 compliance report analyzes the state of bullying prevention policies in District schools.
Monthly Editorials
Youth Bullying Prevention Program: It Takes A District
The Youth Bullying Prevention Programs issues quarterly highlights to designated points of contact within schools and Bullying Prevention Taskforce members. The editorials provide the latest tips, tools and resources to aide in creating a productive and safe school environment.
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 Citywide Youth Bullying Prevention Program program, contact us at [email protected].
Resources and Information
- Setting the Foundation for Safe, Supportive and Equitable School Climates - A toolkit based on four years data collection at participating public schools and public charter schools provides strategies to identify needs through data, build buy-in, and engage the full school community in decision making to ultimately improve school climate.
- Tipsheet: Responding to Reports of Bullying
- Tipsheet: Bullying and Mental Health - This tipsheet describes the relationship between bullying and mental health and provides resources throughout the District to help support students who have been bullied and students who have bullied others.
- Tipsheet: Cyberbullying - This tipsheet outlines the YBPA’s requirements around cyberbullying and identifies key social media trends educators should be aware of.
- Youth Bullying Prevention Act Data - Frequently Asked Questions
- Teacher Tip Sheet - Quick tips on how teachers can prevent and respond to bullying behavior.
- District-wide Model Youth Bullying Prevention Policy - The model policy is a research-based guide to how write an effective bullying prevention policy for your school, government agency or organization.
- Know Your Policy Web Portal - The web portal provides parents and guardians with access to critical bullying prevention information for educational institutions and youth-serving government agencies.
- Tips for Parents Brochure (PDF) - This brochure provides tips for parents who suspect their children may be experiencing bullying.
- Bullying Prevention & Intervention in DC Educational Institutions Training Toolkit - The toolkit provides everything a school, agency or other institutions needs to conduct an effective bullying prevention and intervention training.
- What You Need to Know About Bullying - The fact sheet helps individuals identify and understand bullying.
- Final Rulemaking - The final rulemaking for the Youth Bullying Prevention Act of 2012.
Archived Newsletters
2020
2019
- Ed. 19 - December
- Ed. 18 - November
- Ed. 17 - October
- Ed. 16 - May
- Ed. 15- April
- Ed. 14 - March
- Ed. 13 - February
- Ed. 12 - January
2018