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Bullying & Peer Conflict

Huntley 158 takes both the academic and social-emotional needs of students very seriously and does not tolerate bullying (see Board Policy 7.180). Bullying, intimidation, and harassment diminish a student’s ability to learn and a school’s ability to educate.

In an effort to build on the positive and familial environment where we know our students thrive, we count on the partnership and support of the families we serve to eliminate instances of bullying in school. At the beginning of each school year, families receive a communication from the superintendent about the district's stance on bullying. Click the links below to view this communication: 

Huntley 158 Family Anti-Bullying Communication - English
Huntley 158 Family Anti-Bullying Communication - Spanish
Huntley 158 Family Anti-Bullying Communication - Polish

Defining Bullying

Bullying, including cyber-bullying, means any severe or pervasive physical or verbal act or conduct, including communications made in writing or electronically, directed toward a student that has or can be reasonably predicted to have the effect of one or more of the following:

  • Placing the student in reasonable fear of harm to the student’s person or property.
  • Causing a substantial detrimental effect on the student’s physical or mental health.
  • Substantially interfering with the student’s academic performance.
  • Substantially interfering with the student’s ability to participate or benefit from the services, activities or privileges provided by a school.


Bullying vs. Peer Conflict

While bullying should always be taken seriously, sometimes negative interactions between students are better characterized as peer conflict, which can often be resolved with appropriate support. If your child reports a negative experience at school involving another student, we encourage you to follow the steps in the Peer Conflict vs. Bullying graphic below. Click the buttons for Spanish and Polish versions. 

Peer Conflict vs. Bullying - Spanish

peer conflict vs. bullying - polish 

Peer Conflict vs Bullying Infographic English


Huntley 158 Bullying Prevention Strategies

Huntley 158 takes a proactive approach to combatting bullying and providing all students equal access to a safe, inclusive learning environment. Click the links to view Huntley 158’s Bullying Response & Prevention Guidelines and Huntley 158's Anti-Bullying Curriculum. Below is an overview of our comprehensive strategies: 

  1. Explicit school & classroom expectations
  2. Teaching positive social and relationship building skills
  3. Social emotional learning (SEL) instruction aligned with ISBE SEL standards
  4. Raider Way lessons at Huntley High School
  5. Advisory lessons at middle schools 
  6. Professional development/training for staff
  7. Recognition of positive student behavior
  8. Building-specific initiatives, activities and more


Reporting Bullying

Students who feel they have been bullied are strongly encouraged to report the incident by one or more of the following methods:


Huntley 158 Response to Bullying

All employees, regardless of their position, who witness incidents of bullying or school violence, or who possess reliable information that would lead a reasonable person to suspect that a person is the target of bullying, must intervene immediately to ensure the safety of all persons involved, report the incident to the building principal and cooperate fully in an investigation or implementation of a safety plan.

How Does the Investigation Process Work?

  • Identify the perpetrator(s), the target(s), and any bystander(s).
  • Involve appropriate school support personnel or other staff who have experience and training on bullying prevention, as deemed appropriate in the investigation process. This could be social workers, counselors, psychologists, etc.
  • Determine how often the conduct occurred, any past incidents or continuing patterns of behavior and the impact on the targeted student.
  • Assess the individual and school-wide effect of the incident relating to safety and implement a safety plan if appropriate.
  • Determine appropriate interventions to address bullying that may include school social work services, restorative measures, social-emotional skill building, counseling, school psychological services, community-based services, etc.
  • Notify the parents or guardian or both the victim of bullying and the student(s) identified as exhibiting bullying behavior following the investigation to discuss consequences and/or next steps.

If a parent or student has concerns on how a bullying situation may have been handled or resolved, a formal complaint related to bullying may be filed using Huntley 158's Formal Public Complaint Form. 

Family Resources