What is Bullying?

  • Definition of Bullying -- According to School Board Policy FFI (Local)

    Bullying occurs when a student or group of students engages in written or verbal expression or physical conduct that:

    1. Will have the effect of physically harming a student, damaging a student’s property, or placing a student in reasonable fear of harm to the student’s person or of damage to the student’s property; or
     
    2. Is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive that the action or threat creates an intimidating, threatening, or abusive educational environment for a student.
     
    3. Examples: Bullying of a student may include hazing, threats, taunting, teasing, confinement, assault, demands for money, destruction of property, theft of valued possessions, name calling, rumor spreading, and ostracism.

    When bullying occurs:
    · There is a real or perceived imbalance of power between the bully(s) and the victim(s)
    · There is behavior that is intended to harm or disturb another person(s)
    · There is behavior that occurs repeatedly over time
    · There is physical or psychological intimidation that occurs repeatedly over time
    · It can be overt (i.e., teasing, hitting, or stealing); boys are most often overt bullies
    · It can be covert (i.e., spreading rumors or exclusion); girls are most often covert bullies
     
    Bullying can take many forms. Examples include:
    · Verbal: name-calling, teasing
    · Social: spreading rumors, leaving people out on purpose, breaking up friendships
    · Physical: hitting, punching, shoving
    · Cyberbullying: using the Internet, mobile phones or other digital technologies to harm others

    Definition of Harassment -- According to Board Policy FFH (Local)
    Prohibited harassment of a student is defined as physical, verbal, or nonverbal conduct based on the student’s race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability, or any other basis prohibited by law that is so severe, persistent, or pervasive that the conduct:

    1. Affects a student’s ability to participate in or benefit from an educational program or activity, or creates an intimidating, threatening, hostile, or offensive educational environment;

    2. Has the purpose or effect of substantially or unreasonably interfering with the student’s academic performance; or

    3. Otherwise adversely affects the student’s educational opportunities. Prohibited harassment includes dating violence as defined by this policy.

    4. Examples of prohibited harassment may include offensive or derogatory language directed at another person’s religious beliefs or practices, accent, skin color, or need for accommodation; threatening or intimidating conduct; offensive jokes, name calling, slurs, or rumors; physical aggression or assault; display of graffiti or printed material promoting racial, ethnic, or other negative stereotypes; or other kinds of aggressive conduct such as theft or damage to property.

    If you believe you or your child(ren) have been a victim(s) of bullying, please contact your campus principal, any campus administrator, counselor or teacher.