• No Bullying/Harassment

    ALL students have the right to feel safe and included at school so they can thrive academically and socially regardless of race, gender, religion, ability, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other perceived differences. Harassing, bullying, taunting, teasing, or physically harming a student or staff member or a person’s property is unacceptable by our community agreements and prohibited.

    Any student who is found to bully, harass, or otherwise intentionally harm others will meet with the school Principal and/or Assistant Principal. The student's parents and teachers may also be involved in person or by phone. Consequences for bullying, harassing, taunting or teasing others can be varied by incident and may include verbal or written apology, loss of privileges, behavior contracts, removal from a classroom or activity, suspension. Severe bullying or harassment or ongoing bullying or harassment can result in suspension pending expulsion hearing by a èßäapp¹ÙÍø Senior Director. 

    Defining Bullying: 
    Bullying is a special form of aggressive behavior. Dan Olweus, an world authority on bullying and bullying behavior defines it this way: "A person is being bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons." What differentiates bullying from other aggressive acts is that the student who bullies intends to harm, there is more than one incident, and an imbalance of power makes it hard for the child who's being bullied to defend him/herself. This difference in power can be physical—the child who bullies can be older, bigger, stronger; or several children can gang up on a single child. It can also be psychological, which is harder to see but just as potent—the student who bullies can have more social status or a sharper tongue, for instance. (Rigby, 2001b).

    Verbal bullying includes name-calling, insulting, intimidating, mocking, threatening, and making racist, sexist, or sexual comments. Different from taunting, teasing in severity only. When does teasing cross the line and turn into bullying? The answer often lies in perspective of the person being teased or bullied.

    Physical bullying includes a variety of behaviors such as hitting, kicking, shoving, and taking or destroying property.

    Relational bullying uses relationships to control or harm another person, excluding her from the group or events, talking behind his back, spreading rumors, telling lies about her, giving him the silent treatment, etc.

    Cyberbullying utilizes all of the electronic paraphernalia of modern life—cell phones, instant messaging, videos, e-mail, chatrooms, blogging, social networking sites such as Facebook—to threaten, insult, harass, spread rumors, and impersonate others. Because it can continue 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and because perpetrators remain anonymous, invisible, unpunished, and distant from the impact of their actions, cyberbullying can be even more harmful than ordinary bullying

    Harassment covers a wide range of behaviors of an offensive nature. It is commonly understood as behavior which disturbs or upsets, and it is characteristically repetitive and unwanted. In the legal sense, it is behavior which appears to be threatening or disturbing.

    Sexual harassment is any unwelcome sexual behavior, including words or actions, unwanted attention, advances, or offers of/for a sexual nature.

    It is critically important for our students to communicate with adults in the building when there are issues or concerns. For interactions of concern, please speak with an adult - we are here to support students! 
     
     

    Bullying/Harassment

    DEFINITION

    Sometimes people don’t get along. This is not always bullying. Bullying and harassment are behaviors that make someone feel intimidated or offended. Bullying and harassment are unfair, one-sided, repeated and one person may be using their power over another person.

     


    èßäapp¹ÙÍø POLICY

    èßäapp¹ÙÍø is committed to maintaining a learning environment that is free of harassment and bullying. Harassing or bullying, as defined in (3), is strictly prohibited. Students shall avoid any conduct or action that could be characterized as harassment or bullying.

     

     

    FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FAQs

    Parents as Coaches

    ANTI-HARASSMENT AGREEMENT

    Anti-Harassment Agreement (a tool for students outlining what is acceptable behavior at school and outlining potential consequences and supports- agreement to be signed by student, parent/guardian, and administrator)

    Cyberbullying

    Cyberbullying is bullying or harassment that happens online. It can happen on a social networking site, in a text message, an email, an online game or comments. It might involve rumors or images posted on someone’s profile or passed around for others to see, or creating a group or page to make a person feel left out. Because cyberbullying messages can be rapidly sent to many people, they can cause considerable damage to children. There are many guidelines and resources to help parents navigate and stay involved in their child's online activity.

    It is our goal, in the following letters, to provide families with helpful information about some of the more frequently asked questions related to internet awareness and cyberbullying.

    èßäapp¹ÙÍø Letters to Families: English | Chinese | Russian | Somali | Spanish | Vietnamese 

    BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

    CURRICULUM 
    • Steps to Respect Steps
    • Bully Blockers 
    • Bullying Preventions and PBIS 
    • http://

    WEBSITE RESOURCES FOR ADULTS AND STUDENTS

    • (anti-defamation league)
    • (gay, lesbian, and straight education network)
    • (information about empowering girls)
    •  (author that specializes in books about bullying)
    • (anti-violence campaign)
    • (author that specializes in books about bullying)

    TRAINING