Rainbow DJ LabRas Tafari Inc. · Rainbow Beach Park, Chicago
Proposed:The Lab is not running yet. No class runs until every item on the launch checklist is complete.
Rainbow DJ Lab › Safety › Peer-Harm Protocol

Peer-Harm Protocol

What Rainbow DJ Lab adults do when one child harms another, including bullying, fighting, unwanted touch and online harm, step by step.

Status

These policies were adopted by the Ras Tafari Inc. board on October 17, 2026. The Lab is proposed. No staff are hired yet.

What this covers

Type Examples
Bullying Unwanted, aggressive behavior where there's a real or perceived power imbalance, and it happens repeatedly or is likely to (StopBullying.gov). It can be verbal (teasing, name-calling, threats), social (leaving someone out on purpose, spreading rumors) or physical (hitting, tripping, taking or breaking things)
Fighting Any hitting, kicking, pushing to hurt, or wrestling that isn't play
Unwanted touch Any touching another child doesn't want, including touching private areas, pulling clothes, or sexual comments or gestures
Online harm Cyberbullying between Lab kids: mean messages, posting or sharing photos or video of another child without permission, group-chat exclusion, threats. This includes things that happen outside class but spill into it
Hate or bias Insults about race, ethnicity, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, body or family

Prevention

  • Two adults always present and actively moving between stations.
  • Jobs rotate and the class agreements are taught at orientation.
  • No phones out during class for kids, and no photos or video of other children. The Lab's app stores no photos or video.
  • Restroom buddy system (Restroom Supervision).
  • Kids are taught: "If someone is hurting you or someone else, tell any adult. You won't be in trouble for telling."

Steps when harm happens

  1. Stop it. The nearest adult says "Stop" clearly and steps between the children if needed, without hitting or grabbing.
  2. Separate. The children go to different spots, both in view of an adult. The second adult supervises the rest of the class (ratio holds).
  3. Care for anyone hurt. First aid, and 911 for serious injury.
  4. Listen to each child separately, in view of the other adult. Ask "What happened?" Don't make the children apologize on the spot, and don't make a child face the child who harmed them.
  5. Write it down the same day: who, what, when, where, witnesses, and the children's words.
  6. Call both families the same day. The lead adult calls the parent of the child who was harmed and the parent of the child who caused harm. Each family is told what happened to their child and what the Lab is doing. We don't give one family the other child's private details (such as medical information or discipline history) beyond what's needed for safety.
  7. Decide next steps using the Discipline Ladder. Fighting and unwanted touch are safety violations and go straight to a parent call. A pause from the program may follow.
  8. Report when required (below).
  9. Written incident report within 24 hours (Incident Reporting).

Reporting obligations

  • Every staff member is a mandated reporter under the Illinois Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. If peer harm points to possible abuse or neglect of either child (for example, sexual behavior between children that suggests a child has been exposed to abuse, an injury that suggests harm at home, or a child left without care), staff call the DCFS Hotline, 1-800-25-ABUSE (1-800-252-2873) directly, without needing anyone's permission. When unsure, call and let the hotline decide.
  • Immediate danger, a serious assault, a weapon or a threat to hurt someone: call 911.
  • Staff don't investigate abuse themselves or question children in detail. That's the job of DCFS and the police.
  • The Youth Protection Policy covers anything involving an adult.

Online harm specifically

  1. Ask the child to show an adult (and the parent) but not forward or repost the content.
  2. Never forward, save or share sexual images of a child, even to "report" them. Tell the parent, and call 911 or report to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's CyberTipline (report.cybertip.org).
  3. Help families use the app or platform's report and block tools.
  4. If there's a threat of violence or self-harm, call 911.

Follow-up

When Who What
Next session Lead adult Checks in privately with the child who was harmed: "How are you doing? Is it still happening?"
Next session Lead adult Sets up stations so the children aren't paired, if the family of the child who was harmed wants that
Within 1 week Lead adult Calls the family of the child who was harmed to check in
Ongoing All adults Watch for retaliation. Retaliation is treated as a new safety violation
After serious cases Stephen Henry Reviews what happened and what to change

What you'll be told

  • The same day, by phone: what happened to your child, what we did, and the next steps, whether your child was harmed or caused harm.
  • Within 24 hours: a written incident report.
  • Within 1 week: a follow-up check-in (for the family of the child who was harmed).

If you're not satisfied with how it was handled, see Report a Concern and the Grievance Procedure.

Sources

  • StopBullying.gov (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), What Is Bullying and Cyberbullying: https://www.stopbullying.gov
  • CDC, Bullying (Youth Violence Prevention): https://www.cdc.gov/youth-violence/about/about-bullying.html
  • Illinois Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, 325 ILCS 5: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=1460&ChapterID=32
  • Illinois DCFS, Child Abuse Hotline: https://dcfs.illinois.gov
  • National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, CyberTipline: https://report.cybertip.org
  • U.S. Center for SafeSport, Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies: https://uscenterforsafesport.org