Here is a candidate list of questions to ask your school principal or administration to understand the school’s approach to student safety, behavior (including conflicts), and creating a positive school climate. Each question includes a rationale to help guide your conversation.
Defining & Differentiating Behaviors
How does the school define and differentiate between bullying and other forms of peer conflict, such as isolated disagreements or physical altercations? What are the different intervention pathways for each type of incident? (CA Ed Code § 48900(r))
Why this is important: Ensures clarity on how different behaviors are categorized and addressed, recognizing that not all conflicts are bullying but still require intervention.
Handling Physical Conflict
What specific steps are taken immediately following a physical conflict (e.g., hitting, pushing) between students, even if it’s not classified as bullying? How does the school ensure immediate safety and then address the root cause?
Why this is important: Understands the school’s immediate response protocol for physical incidents to ensure student safety and de-escalation.
Reporting Process for Students & Parents/Reporters
What specific steps should a student take if they feel unsafe, witness unkindness, or are involved in a conflict? What is the best way for parents (or other concerned parties) to report concerns, who is the primary contact, and what kind of acknowledgment or general follow-up can a reporting party expect? Can you provide information on formal complaint options, like the Uniform Complaint Procedures?
Why this is important: Clarity on reporting channels for all parties, expected communication for reporters, and access to formal processes is crucial for timely and transparent intervention.
Investigation & Follow-Up
Once any concern (bullying or conflict) is reported, can you walk me through the typical investigation process? Who investigates, what is the general timeframe, and how is the situation documented?
Why this is important: Helps parents understand the procedure, timeline, and record-keeping involved when an incident is addressed.
Intervention & Support Strategies (Focus on Alternatives)
What positive supports, counseling, conflict resolution skill-building, or restorative practices does the school prioritize for all types of incidents before considering consequences? How are these alternatives documented, especially considering legal requirements? (CA Ed Code § 48900.5)
Why this is important: Determines the school’s focus on teaching and support versus punitive measures, aligning with best practices and legal mandates for students.
Support for Targeted Students & Student Voice
If a child has been targeted or negatively affected by an incident, what specific supports does the school offer to help them feel safe and emotionally supported? How is their voice incorporated into finding a resolution or determining what helps them feel safe again? Is there a process for creating a safety plan, and could you give some examples of what measures it might include at the relevant school level? (Ed Code 46600)
Why this is important: Focuses on the well-being, safety, agency, and available resources for the child experiencing harm or distress, including concrete examples of support.
Addressing Behavior & Teaching Alternatives
How does the school work with students involved in an incident to help them understand the impact, take responsibility, and learn alternatives like peaceful conflict resolution or managing emotions? (Ed Code 48900.5)
Why this is important: Seeks to understand the school’s approach to behavioral change and skill development for the student causing harm.
Assessing Risk of Repetition
Following any significant incident, what process does the school use to assess the risk of the behavior repeating? How does this assessment inform the follow-up monitoring and support plan for all students involved?
Why this is important: Understands how the school proactively evaluates and plans to prevent future occurrences of negative behavior.
Range of Consequences
While the focus is on positive interventions, can you provide a general overview of the range of consequences the school might consider for different types of incidents – from minor conflicts to more serious or repeated behaviors – in line with district policy and Ed Code?
Why this is important: Provides clarity on the school’s accountability framework and the spectrum of potential responses to various behaviors.
Parent Communication
Under what circumstances, and how quickly, can parents expect notification if their child is involved in a significant safety incident, bullying, or conflict? What level of detail is typically provided, respecting privacy laws?
Why this is important: Sets clear expectations for timely and appropriate communication between the school and parents regarding incidents.
Confidentiality Management & Privacy Laws
How does the school ensure the confidentiality of all students involved during and after an investigation (including the reporter, those targeted, those who caused harm, and witnesses), consistent with student privacy laws like FERPA and relevant California Education Code provisions? What information is shared with staff, and on what basis?
Why this is important: Addresses concerns about privacy and ensures understanding of how sensitive information is handled and protected according to legal requirements.
Proactive Prevention & Education
What specific programs, lessons, or assemblies does the school implement across grade levels to proactively teach students about kindness, empathy, respect, conflict resolution strategies, and digital citizenship?
Why this is important: Shows the school’s commitment to building a positive school culture and equipping students with social-emotional skills.
Staff Training & Consistency
How are all staff members (teachers, supervisors, support staff) trained to consistently recognize, intervene, and report various types of safety concerns according to the school’s approach?
Why this is important: Ensures that all adults interacting with students are knowledgeable, equipped, and aligned in their response to incidents.
Ensuring Thorough & Objective Investigations
When investigating incidents, especially those with conflicting accounts, what steps are taken to ensure all perspectives are thoroughly explored and objectively considered before determining findings or next steps?
Why this is important: Addresses concerns about potential dismissal or gaslighting by focusing on the process for gathering and weighing all information fairly.
Maintaining Impartiality
What procedures or safeguards does the school have in place to ensure impartiality during investigations and decision-making, ensuring fairness for all students involved, regardless of who they are?
Why this is important: Seeks assurance about systemic checks against potential bias or favoritism, focusing on fairness in the process itself.
Managing Potential Conflicts of Interest
How does the school address potential conflicts of interest if a staff member involved in handling an incident might have a pre-existing relationship (e.g., neighbor, friend) with one of the families involved?
Why this is important: Tactfully inquires about procedures for managing situations where personal relationships could potentially influence outcomes, ensuring neutrality.
Ensuring Protocol Fidelity & Accountability
How does school administration ensure that all staff consistently follow the established protocols for reporting, investigating, and resolving conflicts? Is there an oversight or review process for how incidents are handled to ensure they are taken seriously and managed appropriately?
Why this is important: Addresses concerns about whether protocols are consistently applied and taken seriously by focusing on administrative oversight and accountability mechanisms.
Addressing Off-Campus & Online Issues
How does the school handle incidents like cyberbullying or conflicts that originate outside of school but negatively impact the school environment?
Why this is important: Addresses the reality that student conflicts and digital interactions often extend beyond school grounds and hours but still affect the school climate.
Measuring Effectiveness & Identifying Trends
How does the school track different types of safety and respect incidents? Is this data, or perhaps school climate survey results, used to identify patterns and measure the overall effectiveness of the school’s approach over time?
Why this is important: Understands how the school monitors its own performance, identifies areas needing improvement, and makes data-informed decisions.
Protocol Review & Improvement
Is there a formal process for periodically reviewing and updating the school’s safety and behavior protocols? How is feedback from staff, students, and parents gathered and incorporated into these reviews?
Why this is important: Determines if the school has a system for continuous improvement and adaptation of its policies and practices.
Active Parent Partnership & Resources
Beyond reporting concerns, what opportunities exist for parents to actively partner with the school in promoting a positive climate? Are there resources, workshops, or committees focused on these topics?
Why this is important: Explores avenues for deeper collaboration between home and school to foster a positive environment.
Transition Between Grades (Internal)
When students move to the next grade level within this school, how is relevant information about past significant safety incidents, conflicts, or support plans communicated between the current and receiving teachers to ensure continuity of care and awareness?
Why this is important: Ensures that important context and support strategies aren’t lost during internal grade transitions, promoting consistent support for students year-to-year.
Transition Between Schools
How does the school coordinate with receiving schools (e.g., middle schools, high schools) regarding students involved in significant or recurring safety incidents or conflicts? How is relevant information shared appropriately to ensure continuity of support?
Why this is important: Addresses how student history and support needs are communicated during a critical transition period to a new school or different school level.
Supporting “Upstanders” & Positive Peer Influence
How does the school actively encourage and support students who witness unkind behavior or conflicts to become helpful “upstanders” rather than passive bystanders? What specific strategies empower students to contribute positively?
Why this is important: Focuses on leveraging the broader student body to help create and maintain a positive, supportive school culture.