School system offers guidance on bullying

ATLANTA — As part of a “Parent Safety Toolkit,” the Fulton County School System listed facts and tips on bullying for parents and children.

Bullying is distinctly different from disagreements between peers or aggressive behaviors between siblings or current dating partners and can be characterized by intentional and repeated behaviors that often have a power imbalance.

Bullying can take many forms, including direct and indirect bullying. Examples of direct bullying are verbal abuse or physical aggression, while direct bullying might be name calling, social isolation, defamation and rumor spreading. Bullying can also take the form of cyberbullying, which is any type of bullying carried out through electronic media.

Bullying can leave a lasting impact on victims, perpetrators and bystanders into adulthood, affecting them psychologically, socially, physiologically and academically.

“What we realized is that students learn differently, and not everybody needs to be sitting in a building five days a week learning,” Gastley said.

Students are given many options. They can be hybrid, receiving education at home and at school. They can go the traditional route, attending five days a week. High school students use Friday as an independent learning day, Gastley said, which helps them prepare for the college experience.

Parents can also do home school and pay Valor Christian Academy for a curriculum and standardized testing.

In the fall, the school is launching a fully virtual school program, but has one student piloting the program now.

Bullying involves a power differential between the bully and the victim that is based on real or perceived factors and often happens to vulnerable student populations, like LGBTQ+ youth, students who have a physical, mental, or intellectual disability, and students perceived as “different” due to weight, clothing or socioeconomic status.

Although bullying is pervasive and can have many effects, there are things that can be done to address these behaviors.

14 with first graders, who are studying the ears and eyes.

Opened in 2020, Valor Christian Academy on Kimball Bridge Road combines a hybrid school named Legacy Community Academy and a traditional school named Bridgeway Christian Academy.

More plans are in the works. Next year, Valor Christian Academy is rolling out a tiered special education support program. Special education is hard to come by in private schools, Gastley said, because there’s often not a mandate for private schools that they have to meet student needs.

“[Valor Christian Academy] is kind of like a one-stop shop for all modes of instruction,” Gastley said.

Parents can model and teach respectful behavior systematically; develop, implement and enforce anti-bullying policies; recognize bullying as a mental health and relationship issue; use a comprehensive approach to address bullying; teach responsible use of technology; and provide support to students who might be marginalized.

Meanwhile, children can report instances of bullying to adults; address bullying with bystanders by stressing the importance and responsibility to stop harassment and intimidation; show kindness to all students; reach out to students who are being bullied; and stand up to bullying if the situation is safe.