Harmful Activity Policy  

Harmful activity is unexpected behavior for children over 5 years of age. Harmful activity can include hitting, biting, throwing materials, damaging tools. This behavior can be harmful to other children and to staff. This policy has been developed with the students and the teachers in mind. Our goal is to help identify what is causing the harmful behavior and resolve these issues. If the issue cannot be resolved, this policy serves to protect the children that have been harmed. If an incident occurs, state regulations require that the parents of the child whose actions were harmful as well as the parents of the child who was hurt be contacted. Names of the children are not shared with either parent.

When an incident does occur:

Our staff strongly disapproves of hitting, biting, and throwing materials. The staff’s job is to keep the children safe and help a child that hurts another child to learn different, more appropriate behavior. We do not use techniques to alarm, hurt, or frighten children.

For the child that was hurt:

1. First aid is given to the child if needed.

2. Parents are notified.

3. The “Incident Report” form is filled out documenting the incident.

For the child that hurt another child:

1. The teacher will firmly tell the child, We do not hit, bite, throw materials, etc... And ask them to check in with the child who was hurt.

2. The child will discuss with a teacher how the other child may feel and what other ways there are to deal with their frustration.

3. The parents are notified. The “Incident Report” is filled out documenting the incident.

Moving forward:

The child will be shadowed to help prevent any incidents. The child will be observed by the teachers to determine what is causing the child to have harmful behavior. The child will be given positive attention and approval for positive behavior.

When harmful behavior continues:

1. If a child inflicts 1 incident in a one-week period (5 days of school attendance) in which another child or staff member has been harmed a conference will be held with the parents to discuss the child’s behavior and how the behavior may be modified.

2. If another incident occurs in which another child or staff member has been harmed the child will be asked to take a one-week break from the school.

3. Once the child returns to school after the one-week break and if the child again harms a child or staff member the parents will be asked to make other school arrangements.

If a child, who has been through step 1 and 2 and then goes 3 weeks (15 days of school attendance) without harm, we will go back to step one if the child harms again. If a child harms another child, the child will be required to be picked up from school for the remainder of the day.