Toolkits and Helpful Resources for Parents, Teachers and Students
SAMHSA’s Back-To-School Toolkit
SAMHSA’s Back-to-School Toolkit provides resources that support behavioral wellness for students. These tools are designed to help parents, caregivers, and educators talk to children about mental health and substance misuse, identify where additional support may be needed, and connect to care.
Parents and Caregivers Can Engage in Conversations with Their Children Related to Digital Technology and Social Media Use:
• Build a family media plan. • Balance time with and without devices. • Talk about social media. • Set a good example. • Optimize your family’s online experience.
SchoolSafety.gov Back-To-School Campaign
SchoolSafety.gov’s Back-to-School Campaign highlights resources and guidance that K- 12 school leaders, educators, staff, parents, and caregivers can use to help prepare for a safe return to school. The campaign aims to empower K-12 communities to use SchoolSafety.gov tools and resources before, during, and beyond the back-to-school season to create and sustain safe and supportive learning environments for students and educators.
Strategies Schools and Districts Can Consider to Create and Sustain a Positive School Climate:
• Collect and analyze school data to assess current climate and apply interventions that improve student engagement, school safety, and the learning environment. • Foster a safe school community by establishing bullying and youth substance use prevention programs and implementing physical safety measures to deter or reduce violence. • Enable a supportive academic, disciplinary, and physical environment by encouraging achievement-oriented behavior, eliminating discrimination in the administration of student discipline, and keeping school facilities in good condition. • Build strong school connections and relationships by showing students they are valued and respected and implementing positive behavior management strategies in the classroom.
StopBullying.gov Prevention: Learn How to Identify Bullying and Stand Up to It Safely
When adults respond quickly and consistently to bullying behavior, they send the message that it is not acceptable. Research shows this can stop bullying behavior over time.
Parents, School Staff, and Other Adults in the Community Can Help Prevent Bullying By:
• Talking about it. • Building a safe school environment. • Creating a community-wide bullying prevention strategy.
Avoid These Mistakes: • Blaming the student for being bullied. • Encouraging retaliation against the bully. • Telling the student to ignore the bullying.
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices. It includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can also include sharing personal or private information about someone else, causing embarrassment or humiliation.
Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior.
The Most Common Places Where Cyberbullying Occurs Are:
• Social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. • Text messaging and messaging apps on mobile or tablet devices. • Instant messaging, direct messaging, and online chatting over the internet. • Online forums, chat rooms, and message boards, such as Reddit. • Email. • Online gaming communities. |
