Bully Busters
The Board of Education prohibits bullying in any form, including electronic means (cyberbullying), on, or while using school property, in a school vehicle, or at a school-sponsored activity or event. Students who have bullied others in violation of this policy may be subject, to disciplinary action, up to and including suspension and expulsion. Bullying on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, or disability will be addressed by this policy and Board Policy JCE. If appropriate, students who violate the bullying prohibition will be reported to local law enforcement. Such reports will be documented using the attached report form.
Prevention/Awareness/Response Program
The administration shall propose, and the Board shall review and approve, a program to address bullying on school property, in a school vehicle, or at a school-sponsored activity or event. The program must include provisions for the training and education of staff members and students and plans for publicizing the program and this policy.
Definitions
“Bullying” is defined as any intentional gesture or any intentional written, verbal, electronic, or physical act or threat that is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive that it creates an intimidating, threatening or abusive educational environment for a student or staff member that a reasonable person, under the circumstances, knows or should know will have the effect of:
- harming a student or staff member, whether physically or mentally;
- damaging a student’s or staff member’s property;
- placing a student or staff member in reasonable fear of harm;
- placing a student or staff member in reasonable fear that the student’s or staff member’s property could be damaged.
“Cyberbullying” means bullying by use of any electronic communication device through means including, but not limited to, e-mail, instant messaging, text messages, blogs, mobile phones, pagers, online games, social media sites and other websites. The school district will educate all students about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms and cyberbullying awareness and response.
“School property” consists of buildings (i.e. classrooms, hallways, lunch rooms, restrooms, etc.) and the surrounding campus for which USD 207 is responsible.
“School vehicle” means any school bus, school van, other school vehicle or private vehicle used by school employees in the course of their duties to transport students or staff members to and from school and/or any school-sponsored activity or event.
“School-sponsored activity or event” means any activity, event, field trip, meeting, club, extracurricular activity, etc. which USD 207 employees supervise in the course of their employment duties.