This guide is intended to be a primary resource for law enforcement officers in helping to educate and support children and adults about the problems resulting from bullying, teasing, and all forms of bias; ways to prevent and intervene in bullying situations; and how to break cycles of bullying and transform student behavior. Also featured are anecdotes from the Not In Our School campaign, an ongoing commitment to empower students to create safe and inclusive environments. The background information and strategies presented apply to young people from all ethnic groups, genders, and ages, from preschool to high school.

To download this guide for free as a PDF, please click here [1]. To order a print copy of this guide from the DOJ COPS office, please click here [2].

From the guide: Preventing and Addressing Bullying and Intolerance

Bullying consists of a wide range of actions from persistent teasing and unwanted physical or verbal comments—which are not in themselves considered to be criminal acts—to serious criminal behaviors such as extortion, threats, vandalism, robbery, assault, and battery. Local law enforcement officers can be of great assistance to school personnel in helping to reduce or eliminate incidences of bullying by becoming involved in positive school-sponsored bullying prevention programs. Officers can play a leadership role through community policing programs that educate and help young people avoid arrest and prevent contact with the juvenile justice system.

This guide is intended to be a primary resource for law enforcement officers in helping educate children and adults about the problems resulting from bully- ing and ways to prevent and intervene in bullying incidents. Officers can also help targets of bullying break a cycle by being a trusted and safe adult to whom children can turn. They can help bystanders learn to speak up to stop bullying, and they can help children who bully transform their behavior and break out of patterns of behavior that lead to further harm.