Each year every school in California is required to review their School Safety Plan in order to be eligible for Safe School funding. The new plan must be developed with components such as violence prevention and must respond to safety concerns. Cybersafety is about keeping children safe online. It requires the direct support of all those in the school community. Agreements on how to act safely and responsibly online are reached between the school leadership, staff, parents and students.

Legislation That May Affect Your Safe School Plan

California AB 86 Assembly Bill - Cyberbullying

California Education Code 48900 ammended by Assembly Bill 86, effective Jan 1, 2009.  The new law will give schools authority to suspend or expel students for bullying fellow students over the Internet, in text-messaging or by other electronic means.  Assembly Bill 86 adds cyberbullying to school disciplinary codes that previously defined bullying only in terms of direct physical or verbal harassment.Grounds for suspension or explusion ammended to include bullying by electronic means:

• while on school grounds
• while going to or coming from school
• during the school lunch period whether on or off campus
• during or while going to/coming from a school activity

The new law also empowers the School Law Enforcement Partnership to expand their in-service training programs to include cyberbullying.

Download the information: California AB 86 - Cyberbullying [PDF]

Seven-Step Planning Process for Safe and Effective Schools

The Seven-Step Planning Process for Safe and Effective Schools was developed by the CDE and outlines steps to develop and implement a school safety plan at your site. Download the CTAP document that corresponds to this workbook for links to helpful information and resources that can be used to support each step in your plan.
Safe school planning_HO.doc

Other Planning Guides and Forms

Nancy Willard, Attorney & Cybersafety expert, has designed a guide and forms to assist safe school committees in addressing cyberbullying. Links below are from her book, Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats: Responding to the Challenge of Online Aggression, Threats and Distress by N.E. Willard, 2007, Champaign, IL; Research Press (800-519-2707); www.researchpress.com. Also available through Amazon.com.

Appendix D

Comprehensive Plan to Address Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats This document outlines, steps to guide safe school committees in addressing cyberbullying in their safe school plans. AppD_Comprehensive_Plan.pdf

Appendix E

Student Needs Assessment Survey It would be good to begin your planning process with a survey of students to help your team understand the problem. AppE_Student_Needs_Survey.pdf

Appendix F

Staff Needs Assessment Questions It is also important to survey staff and assess their understanding of the problem of cyberbullying. AppF_Staff_Needs_Assessment.pdf

Appendix G

Request for Waiver of Principles of Effectiveness All activities proposed for a Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA) plan must meet standards known as “principles of effectiveness.” Because cyberbullying is an emerging trend that requires new approaches that have not been fully tested through scientific research, it may be necessary to put in a request to waive this requirement. Nancy Willard has created this template for safe school planning teams to use. AppG_Request_for_Waiver.pdf

You may also want to review these helpful forms for reviewing and documenting cyberbullying incidents.