Welcome

Whether you are a student, a parent, or a staff person working at a Newton school, we are glad you are visiting the Newton Public Schools (NPS) Bullying Prevention and Intervention website. These pages contain the NPS policies and procedures in regard to preventing and responding to bullying behaviors. Additionally, as you explore these pages, you will find a wealth of information about bullying prevention, curriculum, and other resources.

The content of these pages is guided by the belief that all students of the school community deserve the opportunity to learn in an environment where they feel safe. Students, parents, and staff all have a role to play in building positive environments for youth, and in promoting acceptance and respect among all individuals.

Bullying is a form of youth violence. It is aggressive behavior, directed intentionally towards an individual or individuals and it involves an imbalance of power or strength. Bullying has a negative impact on other students at school who are bystanders or witnesses to bullying by creating a climate of fear and disrespect. Bullying of any kind, including cyberbullying – the electronic version of bullying – will not be tolerated in the Newton Public Schools.

Report Bullying Now

Before filing an incident report, we strongly encourage you to also explore other pages on this website to learn more about bullying prevention and intervention.

The US Departments of Education and Health & Human Services provides an excellent national resource, the Stop Bullying website – www.stopbullying.gov – to encourage children, parents, educators, and communities to take action to stop and prevent bullying.

Link to 2018-19 YRBS Report Summary

The most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), distributed to Newton’s secondary school students in the 2016-17 school year, tells us about key trends in the data on bullying in schools and the community.

- 27% of 7-8th grade students and 38% of high school students reported that they saw someone else bullied in school in the 30 days prior to the survey.
- 15% of 7-8th grade students and 16% of high school students reported that they had been bullied at school.
- 10% of Newton middle school students and 11% of high school students reported that they had been bullied electronically.
- Respondents who had been bullied in school in the 30 days prior to the survey were asked how they responded the last time it happened (multiple responses were possible). Respondents in all grades generally reported that they were "most likely" to try to get the person/people doing it to stop, followed by talking to a friend about it, telling a parent/guardian, and then telling a school adult. Seventh and eighth grade students were nearly twice as likely to report using these strategies than high school students.