Safety Plans for Mental or Physical Health Challenges, Harassment, Intimidation, or Bullying - HIB
If your student experiences anxiety, depression, other health challenges, and/or has experienced a pattern of Harassment, Intimidation and/or Bullying (HIB) at school, schools can develop a safety plan to ensure that students and staff prioritize safety and have strategies to prevent re-occurrence of HIB, as well as safe ways to respond to any future incidents.
Action Steps for Developing a Safety Plan
- Listen to your student. Ask your student what is happening at school and how they are feeling. Validate their feelings.
- Request a meeting with your School Team (school administration, counselor, etc.) to develop a Safety Plan.
- Identify 2-3 adult staff members in the building the student would feel safe going to if they feel emotionally or physically threatened. If unsure who to identify – ask other parents or a school staff member you know. Consult with your Team regarding who is accessible during unstructured times like recess and lunch.
- Consider setting up a daily or weekly check-in with one of the designated “safe people.”
- Depending on the grade of the student, have the student’s elementary homeroom teacher, middle/high school counselor, or IEP case manager:
- Communicate with these staff members about their role in the student’s safety plan.
- Establish a student pass in case the student needs to leave a classroom to contact one of their safe people.
- Ensure their safe people have HIB reporting forms* they can help the student fill out if an incident occurs.
Communicate with all the student’s teachers and staff, including bus drivers, lunch and recess monitors, librarians, and other staff so that they are aware of the safety plan. Remind them to maintain the student's privacy around the situation.
Share the plan with your student in an age-appropriate way. Let your student know who they can turn to when they need help, explain how to get a student pass if that is included in the plan, and answer any questions the student may have.
Washington State's Definition of Bullying
RCW 28A.300.285 defines "Harassment, intimidation, or bullying" (HIB) as: Any intentional electronic, written, verbal, or physical act, including but not limited to one shown to be motivated by any characteristic in RCW 9A.36.080(3), or other distinguishing characteristics, when the intentional electronic, written, verbal, or physical act:
- Physically harms a student or damages the student's property; or
- Has the effect of substantially disrupting a student's education; or
- Is so severe, persistent, or pervasive that it creates an intimidating or threatening educational environment; or
- Has the effect of substantially disrupting the orderly operation of the school.
Every School District must have an HIB Compliance Officer. Find Your Compliance Officer: https://ospi.k12.wa.us/student-success/health-safety/school-safety-center/harassment-intimidation-and-bullying-hib/hib-compliance-officers-contact-list
Access an “HIB Toolkit” on the Safety Center webpage of the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI):
Access HIB Reporting Forms and other useful information on OEO’s webpage:
https://www.oeo.wa.gov/en/education-issues/bullying-harassment-and-intimidation