PITTSFIELD, Mass. - Pittsfield Public Schools is reminding school community members about a tool they hope will help combat bullying.
It’s an online form for a student, parent or staff member to fill out to report and start an investigation into a bullying incident. The district wants to make it easier for parents to see their child is getting the support they need.
As soon as a report is filed, they work on a safety plan for the student while the claim is being investigated. Once the investigation is complete the student, aggressor and families will get a response back on the outcome and what the next steps are moving forward.
One parent Spectrum News spoke with had a good outcome after using the form for their son, but believes there’s still more to do.
"It’s better than it has been in the past," said Kristie Fuller. "There’s always room for improvement though. A lot of times, I still feel like kids might be a little nervous to say anything if they are being bullied, especially if they’re like my son, who has autism. He experienced a lot of bullying here just because kids would try to talk to him and he’s very reserved, so they just assumed he was being not nice and then they would bully in return.”
The form and other bullying resources are available on the district's website, and anyone who needs help completing the form is asked to call the district for assistance.