Addressing and preventing bullying includes which of the following?

• A. Actions against bullying for disability, race, national origin, color, gender, or religion, and promoting a safe supportive learning environment with anti-harassment and disciplinary action
• B. Encourage students to handle bullying on their own without school intervention
• C. Ignore reports of bullying unless it is physical
• D. Only teach about one protected characteristic at a time

Answer: (A)

Creating a safe, inclusive school climate requires actively addressing and preventing bullying across protected characteristics, with clear policies, reporting channels, and consistent consequences. The chosen approach reflects a comprehensive, proactive effort: it targets harassment based on disability, race, national origin, color, gender, or religion, and it promotes a supportive learning environment with anti-harassment measures and disciplinary action when needed. This kind of framework ensures that bullying is not tolerated, that students know how to report incidents, and that there are consequences that deter future harm while supporting those affected.

The other ideas fall short because they shift responsibility away from the school or minimize the problem. Encouraging students to handle bullying on their own sidesteps the school’s duty to protect all learners. Ignoring reports unless the bullying is physical leaves non-physical harassment—often the most widespread and damaging form—unaddressed. Teaching about only one protected characteristic at a time misses the broader goal of creating a universally safe environment for every student.