Under Vermont law, bullying “means any overt act or combination of acts directed against a student by another student or group of students and which: (a) is repeated over time, (b) is intended to ridicule, humiliate, or intimidate the student; and (c) occurs during the school day on school property, on a school bus, or at a school-sponsored activity, or before or after the school day on a school bus or at a school-sponsored activity.” (16 V.S.A. § 11(a) (32))
Harassment, hazing, and bullying by students is strictly prohibited and must be reported by students to a teacher or administrator immediately upon observation of such conduct.
In 2011, in a proactive stance, the school implemented an anti-bullying program called The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program©(OBPP). OBPP is among the most researched and best-known bullying prevention programs available. Developed by Dr. Dan Olweus of Norway, OBPP has over thirty-five years of research behind it and has been implemented throughout the world in countries such as the United States, Canada, England, Mexico, Iceland, Germany, Sweden, Norway, and Croatia. It is recognized by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence as one of only eleven Blueprint Model Programs and by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration as a Model Program – two of the highest honors a prevention program can attain.
