The Department of Education shall provide, within available appropriations, annual training to school employees, as defined in section 10-222d, except those school employees who hold professional certification pursuant to section 10-145b unless such school employee who holds professional certification is the district safe school climate coordinator, the safe school climate specialist or a member of the safe school climate committee, as described in section 10-222k, on the prevention, identification and response to school bullying and teen dating violence, as defined in section 10-222d, and the prevention of and response to youth suicide. Such training may include, but not be limited to,

1. (1) developmentally appropriate strategies to prevent bullying and teen dating violence among students in school and outside of the school setting,
2. (2) developmentally appropriate strategies for immediate and effective interventions to stop bullying and teen dating violence,
3. (3) information regarding the interaction and relationship between students committing acts of bullying and teen dating violence, students against whom such acts of bullying and teen dating violence are directed and witnesses of such acts of bullying and teen dating violence,
4. (4) research findings on bullying and teen dating violence, such as information about the types of students who have been shown to be at-risk for bullying and teen dating violence in the school setting,
5. (5) information on the incidence and nature of cyberbullying, as defined in section 10-222d,
6. (6) Internet safety issues as they relate to cyberbullying, or

7. (7) information on the incidence of youth suicide, methods of identifying youths at risk of suicide and developmentally appropriate strategies for effective interventions to prevent youth suicide. Such training may be presented in person by mentors, offered in state-wide workshops or through on-line courses.

   Note: On and after July 1, 2025, this section, as amended by section 61 of public act 23-167, is to read as follows:

   “Sec. 10-222j. Training re prevention, identification and response to school bullying, teen dating violence and youth suicide. The Department of Education shall provide, within available appropriations, annual training to school employees, as defined in section 10-222aa, except those school employees who hold professional certification pursuant to section 10-145b unless such school employee who holds professional certification is the school climate coordinator, as described in section 10-222dd, the school climate specialist, as described in section 10-222ee, or a member of the school climate committee, as described in section 10-222ff, on the prevention, identification and response to bullying and teen dating violence, as defined in section 10-222aa, and the prevention of and response to youth suicide. Such training may include, but not be limited to,

8. (1) developmentally appropriate strategies to prevent bullying and teen dating violence among students in school and outside of the school setting,
9. (2) developmentally appropriate strategies for immediate and effective interventions to stop bullying and teen dating violence,
10. (3) information regarding the interaction and relationship between students committing acts of bullying and teen dating violence, students against whom such acts of bullying and teen dating violence are directed and witnesses of such acts of bullying and teen dating violence,
11. (4) research findings on bullying and teen dating violence, such as information about the types of students who have been shown to be at-risk for bullying and teen dating violence in the school setting,
12. (5) information on the incidence and nature of cyberbullying, as defined in section 10-222aa,
13. (6) Internet safety issues as they relate to cyberbullying, or
14. (7) information on the incidence of youth suicide, methods of identifying youths at risk of suicide and developmentally appropriate strategies for effective interventions to prevent youth suicide. Such training may be presented in person by mentors, offered in state-wide workshops or through on-line courses.”

(P.A. 11-232, S. 6; P.A. 14-234, S. 6; P.A. 23-167, S. 61.)

History: P.A. 11-232 effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 14-234 added provision re annual training for school employees on teen dating violence, revised provision re those school employees excepted from annual training requirements and added references to teen dating violence in Subdivs. (1) to (4); P.A. 23-167 changed reference for definitions of “school employees”, “bullying”, “teen dating violence” and “cyberbullying” from Sec. 10-222d to Sec. 10-222aa, replaced references to district safe school climate coordinator, safe school climate specialist and safe school climate committee with school climate coordinator, school climate specialist and school climate committee and replaced “school bullying” with “bullying”, effective July 1, 2025.