My child is being bullied and/or abused in school and the school administration is downplaying the issue; what can I do?

Most state laws, policies, and regulations require districts and schools to implement a bullying policy and procedures to investigate and respond to bullying when it occurs. Stopbullying.gov provides information on state antibullying laws and policies .

In addition, schools establish specific rules and procedures to address this type of incident. Bullying should be reported directly to a teacher, counselor, and/or principal. If, after taking these steps, a parent or caregiver is not satisfied with the school's intervention, he/she may direct his/her grievance to the local school district administrator or superintendent. If the issue is not resolved after this contact, it may be possible to bring the complaint to the attention of the State Department of Education .

If the harassment is based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or religion and all other possibilities have been exhausted, parents may contact the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights .