Statement of Intent and Philosophy
We are committed to providing a caring, friendly, and safe environment for all of our students so they can learn in a secure atmosphere. Bullying of any kind is unacceptable at our school. If bullying does occur, all students are to report and know that incidents will be dealt with promptly and effectively. We are a REPORTING school. This means that anyone who knows that bullying or harassment is happening is expected to report to staff.
It is the expectation that no one should feel left out or afraid, and it is the goal of the school that everyone can be safe and everyone can be respectful of others. It is understood and expected that there will be C.A.R.E. in Kimberly School District.
- Consequences for harassment, intimidation or bullying behavior
- Adult Intervention
- Reporting of all harassment, intimidation or bullying behavior
- Empathy for students who are bullied or harassed.
Policy Objectives
- All district staff – including teaching and non-teaching staff will have an understanding of what bullying and harassment is.
- All district staff – including teaching and non-teaching staff will know what the school policy is on bullying and harassment their obligation to report all incidents of bully/harassment.
- All students and parents will know what the school policy is on bullying and harassment, and what they should do if bullying or harassment happens.
- The school and district will take bullying and harassment seriously. Students and parents should be assured that they will be supported when bullying or harassment is reported.
- These bullying policies and each school's procedures;
- Apply to all students, even if not at their school of enrollment;
- Apply to all guests on school property;
- Apply to all school functions, whether or not on school property, including functions other than during the academic year.
- The district and school will have a zero tolerance for bullying and harassment activities. Any bullying and harassment will not be tolerated on school property or function at any time
Definitions
Bullying:
Aggressive behavior or intentional harm of another person. Bullying may also be committed through the use of electronic devices. Bullying occurs within an interpersonal relationship characterized by an imbalance of power that involves the exploitation of a less powerful person by one seeking an unfair advantage. It is repeated over time. It is sufficiently severe, pervasive, or persistent so as to interfere with or limit the ability of an individual to participate in or benefit from the school’s programs. It has the purpose of creating an intimidating or hostile environment, interferes with an individual’s educational performance, and adversely affects an individual’s educational opportunities. It involves both intimidation and harassment behaviors, and can be physical, emotional, or social. In all three types, both verbal and non-verbal bullying methods can be used.
- Physical Bullying: Harm to another student’s person or property (threatening harm or gestures, tripping, hitting, start fights, extortion, and assault with a weapon).
- Emotional Bullying: Harm to another’s self-worth using remarks, insulting gestures, harassing/frightening phone calls, challenging in public
- Social Bullying: Harm to another’s group acceptance by gossiping, playing mean tricks, spreading rumors, racial insults, exclusion tactics, arranging public humiliation, undermining other relationships, ruining a reputation.
- CyberBullying: Harm, intimidation, harassment to another individual through electronic communication by conveying a message in any format audio, video, text, graphics, photographs, and any combination thereof. This includes “sexting” or the sending of electronic messages of a sexual nature that are harmful, intimidating or harassing.
- Harassment: To trouble, worry or torment with repeated questions or attacks. The victim feels hassled and becomes frustrated as the harassment may be a continuous event. Examples of harassment include, but are not limited to:
- Physical acts of aggression or assault, damage to property, or intimidation and implied or overt threats of violence motivated by the victim’s gender, race, color, national origin, age religious beliefs, ethnic background or disability.
- Demeaning racial jokes, taunting, slurs and derogatory nicknames, innuendoes or other negative remarks relating to the victim’s gender, race, color, national origin, age, religious beliefs, ethnic background or disability.
- Graffiti and/or slogans or visual displays such as cartoons or posters depicting slurs or derogatory remarks relating to the victim’s gender, race, color, national origin, age religious beliefs, ethnic background or disability.
- Harassment also includes acts of retaliation taken against:
- Any person bringing a complaint of harassment
- Any person assisting another person in bringing a complaint of harassment or
- Any person participating in an investigation of an act of harassment.
Intimidation: To make someone afraid, intentionally make them timid, or to force them in some manner by using threats of violence.
Peer violence: Stems from disagreements, misunderstandings, or conflicts between students who are equally matched in power. The power source may be physical strength, social skill, verbal ability or another resource.
Sexual Harassment: A form of misconduct that undermines a student’s relationship with educators and/or other students. No student, male or female, should be subjected to unwelcome sexual overtures or conduct, either verbal, electronically or physical. Sexual harassment refers to sexual overtures or conduct that is unwelcome, personally offensive, and affecting morale, thereby interfering with a student’s ability to study or participate in school activities. Examples of sexual harassment include, but are not limited to:
- Verbal statements of a sexual or abusive nature, including requests or demands for sexual activity, sexual jokes and obscene comments, etc.
- Sexually motivated or inappropriate touching or unwelcome physical contact.
- Sexual behavior or communications, accompanied by implied or overt threats
- Unwelcome behavior or communications directed at an individual because of his/her gender.
- Stalking or unwelcome, sexually motivated attention.
- Sexting by sending electronic messages that are harmful, intimidating or constitute harassment.
Outcomes
Disciplinary Consequences
A variety of consequences may be used in response to bullying behavior. These may include, but are not limited to:
- Conference with the student
- Contact and/or conference with the student, parent/guardian
- Detention
- Students may be assigned to lunch or after school detention for disciplinary reasons. Students who do not report to detention on time may be assigned to additional detentions, or other disciplinary alternatives.
- Written and/or verbal apology to victimized student(s)
- Restitution for damages
- Written assignments
- Attendance at an Anti-Bullying Class
- After the incident(s) have been investigated and dealt with, each case should be monitored to ensure continuation or retaliation does not happen.
- Suspension
- Any students involved in a major disciplinary offense may incur a one to five day suspension from school and loss eligibility for extra-curricular activities during the suspension days. A parent conference may be required for the student to be reinstated.
- Expulsion
- Students involved in any action that puts in jeopardy the health or welfare of the school facility or its occupants may be recommended for immediate expulsion.
Reference:
Kimberly District Policy 3235
Idaho Code 33-512
First Reading:12/15/2005
Adoption: 01/19/2006
Revision: 2nd reading: 12/18/2008
Revision: 04/15/2010