8th Grade Second Step Bullying Prevention Lessons

November 4, 2022

Dear McCracken Families,

Over the next several weeks, your child will be discussing bullying as part of our Advisory program, Second Step® Middle School. Bullying is at its peak in middle school, and research indicates that taking proactive steps to address bullying will help reduce occurrences of it in our school. 

Second Step Middle School is designed to support your child in developing the knowledge and skills to help stop bullying. Students will learn how to recognize the social and environmental factors that can enable bullying and harassment, how to safely challenge these factors, and how to seek help if they or someone they know is being bullied or harassed.

Here are some key definitions your child will be learning:

• Bullying: intentional physical, verbal, or social aggression. It’s often repeated over time and occurs when there’s a real or perceived power imbalance.
• Environmental factors: the physical space and any rules and regulations that apply within an area.
• Harassment: aggression against someone based on a real or perceived characteristic they have, such as their race, religion, sex, or gender. It’s serious enough to create an unsafe environment and is a form of discrimination.
• Social factors: common beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of a particular group or community

We encourage students to report any instances of bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, or gender-based harassment they witness or experience to you and to trusted adults at our school. Please contact our administrative team at 847-673-1220 if you need support in reporting or dealing with bullying. Additionally, if you have any questions about social-emotional programs, please don’t hesitate to contact our office for more information. Thank you for your support as we work together to build a safer community. 

Sincerely,

McCracken Administration