Bullying and Cyberbullying

Bullying occurs when someone repeatedly and purposefully says or does mean or hurtful things to another person who has a hard time defending him or herself. Or it could be a single, severe or a willful act. 

Bullying means a willful act, which is written, verbal, or physical, or a course of conduct on the part of one or more persons that is not otherwise authorized by law and that exposes a student repeatedly and over time to one or more negative actions which is highly offensive to a reasonable person and

1. is intended to cause or actually causes the student to suffer harm or serious emotional distress;
2. exploits an imbalance in power between the person engaging in the act or conduct and the person who is the subject of the act or conduct;
3. poses a threat of immediate harm or actually inflicts harm to another person or to the property of another person;
4. places the person in reasonable fear of harm or serious emotional distress; or
5. creates an environment that is hostile to a student by interfering with the education of the student.

Such negative actions may include, without limitation:

• Destroying the property of a student
• Excluding a student from participating in activities
• Extorting a student
• Gossiping maliciously
• Speaking disparagingly about the ethnicity of a student
• Staring and glaring with the intent to intimidate
• Taunting
• Transmission or distribution of a sexual image of a minor
• Unreasonably banning the ability of a student to enter or exit an area
• Using gestures with the intent to cause and actually causing a student to suffer harm or serious emotional distress
• Using oral, written or electronic communication with the intent to cause and actually causing a student to suffer harm or serious emotional distress

Cyberbullying means bullying through the use of electronic communication.

Bullying is Not Teasing
It might be hard to tell the difference between playful teasing and bullying. Teasing usually involves two or more friends who act together in a way that seems fun to all the people involved. Often they tease each other equally, but it never involves physical or emotional abuse.
 

Harassment is defined as unwelcome verbal, written, graphic and/or physical conduct that is related to one’s gender, age, race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity expression, national origin, religion, disability, English language proficiency, socioeconomic status or political beliefs.

In accordance with Assembly Bill 206, the following is a list of resources in the community to assist students:

• Community Resources
   

Additional resources:

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
• District Policy 543
• District Regulation 543
• NDOE Bullying Law Flyer
• NDOE Bullying Law Flyer Spanish
• NDOE Bullying Resource Flyer
• NDOE Bullying Resource Flyer Spanish