Bullying Definition
“Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems.
In order to be considered bullying, the behavior must be aggressive and include:
- An Imbalance of Power: Kids who bully use their power—such as physical strength, access to embarrassing information, or popularity—to control or harm others. Power imbalances can change over time and in different situations, even if they involve the same people.
- Repetition: Bullying behaviors happen more than once or have the potential to happen more than once.”
(U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2024)
Resources for Parents and Caregivers
Bullying Prevention Toolkit
The Bullying Prevention Toolkit serves as a resource for schools to implement and strengthen their comprehensive approach to bullying prevention and response. The toolkit provides guidance for bullying prevention practices including educating students, staff, and caregivers about bullying, establishing a bullying prevention task force, and creating a bullying prevention action plan that can be integrated into existing multilevel systems of support. The toolkit also provides guidance for bullying response protocols including reporting, investigation, and decision-making procedures. Letters, fillable forms, and caregiver resources are also included.
Bullying Prevention Toolkit Resources
The following resources are also linked in the toolkit.
- Family Resources (English)
-
School-Family Partnership Letter
Communicating to Caregivers about Investigation Initiation
- Family Resources (Spanish & Hmong)
-
Spanish
School-Family Partnership Letter (Spanish)
Communicating to Caregivers about Investigation Initiation (Spanish)
Bullying Investigation Notification (Spanish)
Bullying Decision Letters (Spanish)
Caregiver-Child Bullying Talk (Spanish)
Hmong
School-Family Partnership Letter (Hmong)
Communicating to Caregivers about Investigation Initiation (Hmong)
Bullying Investigation Notification (Hmong)
- Reporting Instruments
-
Bullying Report Form: Anonymous
- Investigative Instruments
-
Evaluating Existing Records Form
Investigation Decision Making Form
While the implementation of a specific bullying prevention curriculum, framework, or intervention is optional, The University of Missouri Bully Prevention Lab has created a guide for schools of evidenced-based, research-based, and promising resources. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction does not endorse or sponsor the resources in this guide, and they are provided only for your consideration.
Awareness and Prevention of School-Based Bullying Online Training
The Student Services/Prevention and Wellness Team (SSPW), in collaboration with Dr. Chad Rose and the University of Missouri Bully Prevention Lab, is offering a free, online bullying prevention training course for Wisconsin educators and Wisconsin out-of-school time programs!
This course is designed for all educators, including regular and special education teachers, student services professionals, administrators, out-of-school time program staff, and any other school personnel.
This five-module, self-paced course can be completed by an individual in approximately two hours. The five modules provide foundational knowledge of bullying prevention:
- Module 1: What is Bullying?
- Module 2: Predictive and Protective Factors Associated with School Bullying
- Module 3: Intervention for Bullying in the Schools
- Module 4: Group and Individual Interventions and Federal Law Related to Bullying
- Module 5: Resources
Access to this course requires each individual to have a separate license. To reserve licenses, please complete the online form below. Once you complete the form, you will receive an email with specific login information for the number of licenses requested.
Wisconsin Bullying Prevention State Statute and Model Policy
In Wisconsin, the state statute that addresses bullying (§118.46) requires two things of public school districts: that they have a policy prohibiting bullying and that they share that policy with parents and guardians annually, as well as with anyone who requests a copy. The statute also directs DPI to provide a model policy that districts may choose to adopt.
Bullying that occurs due to sex, race, religion, national origin (including a student whose primary language is not English), ancestry, creed, pregnancy, parental status, marital status, sexual orientation, physical disability, mental disability, emotional disability, or learning disability may also be addressed under Wisconsin’s pupil nondiscrimination state statute (§118.13). For more information, visit the DPI's Pupil Nondiscrimination webpage.
Bullying Prevention Tools and Resources
- Bullying Prevention for Marginalized Populations
-
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction does not necessarily endorse any resource provided below, but encourages each educator, school leader, or school/district team to determine which tools best meet the needs of their school community.
GLSEN believes that every student has the right to a safe, supportive, and LGBTQ-inclusive education. They recommend four key practices for cultivating safe and supportive environments for all students: develop supportive educators, implement comprehensive policies, teach inclusive curriculum, and support student GSAs.
GSAFE creates just schools for LGBTQ+ youth in Wisconsin by developing the leadership of LGBTQ+ youth, supporting student GSAs, training educators, and advancing educational and social justice.
Race, Ethnicity, National Origin & Religion | StopBullying.gov
This resource addresses bullying and harassment that students experience based on their racial, ethnic, national, or religious identities, highlighting that such incidents may escalate during periods of social or political tension. This webpage provides guidance to those who are experiencing identity-based bullying and provides links to additional resources.
Bullying and Youth with Disabilities and Special Health Needs | StopBullying.gov
This resource highlights that children with disabilities or special health needs are at a heightened risk of being bullied. The page emphasizes the importance of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), Section 504 plans, and federal civil rights protections in creating safe school environments, and advises schools to implement accommodations and educate staff to prevent and respond effectively to bullying incidents involving these students.
Youth Hate Crimes and Identity-Based Bullying Prevention Curriculum
This curriculum is part of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP’s) initiative to prevent youth hate crimes and identity-based bullying. This curriculum was designed to build protective factors in youth, change the attitude and behavior of young people who commit hate crime offenses, and help individuals working with these youth to better understand strategies to break down cultural barriers and address bias.
Learning for Justice provides free educational resources to help K–12 educators, administrators, and caregivers create inclusive, equitable, and anti-bias learning environments. Formerly known as Teaching Tolerance, the organization offers lesson plans, publications, film kits, and professional development tools focused on social justice, civil rights history, and civic engagement.
- DPI Bullying Prevention Tools and Resources
-
Bullying Prevention Program Assessment Tool
Whether you are new to this topic or a veteran of bullying prevention, the best place to start is to get a clear picture of just how comprehensive your approach is. The Bullying Prevention Program Assessment Tool will walk a school team through the nine components that are necessary to implement an effective bullying prevention initiative.
Webinar: Building a Multi-Tiered System of Support: Foundations for Bully Prevention
Bullying is a serious concern for school-aged youth. This session explores how bully prevention strategies fit within a multi-tiered system of support, with a focus on tiers two and three. It highlights how skill-based approaches, like social and communication skills, can be integrated into daily routines to support students most at risk. Participants will gain practical strategies they can apply at the classroom, small group, and individual levels.
Webinar: Recognize, Report, and Respond: Conducting a Systematic Bullying Investigation
All 50 states have laws addressing bullying, but many lack clear guidance on investigations or prevention efforts. This session focuses on building a strong investigative foundation for school or district-wide bullying prevention. Participants will learn how to identify bullying; explore reporting protocols for students, staff, and parents; and gain a practical framework for conducting investigations and responding to incidents.
Webinar: Bullying Prevention Toolkit
In this webinar, Dr. Chad Rose from the University of Missouri Bully Prevention Lab shares best practices for preventing and responding to school-based bullying. Participants learn the types and impacts of bullying, how to build an effective prevention task force and action plan, and how to use clear frameworks for reporting, investigating, and addressing incidents. This session offers an overview of the Bullying Prevention Toolkit.
Conflict vs. Bullying
Understanding the difference between conflict and bullying is essential for responding effectively and appropriately in school settings. While conflict involves a mutual disagreement or struggle between individuals with relatively equal power, bullying is a repeated, intentional act where one person exerts power over another. Recognizing this distinction helps ensure that interventions are tailored to the situation and that true instances of bullying receive the attention and support they require.
- Other Resources
-
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction does not necessarily endorse any resource provided below, but encourages each educator, school leader, or school/district team to determine which tools best meet the needs of their school community.
StopBullying.gov provides comprehensive information and resources on bullying and cyberbullying prevention for caregivers, educators, and youth on identifying, preventing, and responding to bullying.
The Cyberbullying Research Center is dedicated to providing information about the nature, extent, causes, and consequences of cyberbullying among adolescents. This website serves as a clearinghouse of information concerning the ways adolescents use and misuse technology. It is intended to be a resource for parents, educators, mental health professionals, law enforcement officers, counselors, and others who work with youth (as well as for youth themselves).
Bullying Prevention Strategies and Resources for K-12 Schools | schoolsafety.gov
This handout outlines a comprehensive approach for K–12 schools to prevent and address bullying by fostering positive school climates, implementing clear policies, engaging families and students, and incorporating social-emotional learning (SEL) into the curriculum.
Key Considerations for Bullying Prevention | National Center for School Safety
This guide offers schools a comprehensive framework for developing and sustaining effective bullying prevention programs. It addresses the nature of bullying, strategies for prevention, context-specific considerations, youth engagement and empowerment, and the impact of social media on bullying.
E-Learning Center Bullying Prevention Learning Activities | Children's Wisconsin
Children’s Wisconsin’s Bullying Prevention program offers interactive online lessons, activities, and games tailored for K–12 students, educators, and caregivers, aiming to raise awareness and equip participants with age-appropriate strategies to prevent and address bullying.