BULLYING

What is Bullying?

Any unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another youth or group of youths, who are not siblings or current dating partners, involving an observed or perceived power imbalance and is repeated multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated. Bullying may inflict harm or distress on the targeted youth including physical, psychological, social, or educational harm.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolence/bullyingresearch/index.html

Bullying Statistics

Bullying is recognized as a public health problem because it affects so many youth.

• In a 2015 nationwide survey, 20% of high school students reported being bullied on school property in the previous 12 months.

• An estimated 16% of high school students reported in 2015 that they were bullied electronically in the previous 12 months.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth risk behavior surveillance—United States, 2015. MMWR, Surveillance Summaries 2016;65(SS9). Available from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/ss/ss6506a1.htm

Types of Bullying

(www.stopbullying.gov)

Verbal

• Speaking or writing mean things
• Teasing
• Name-calling
• Inappropriate sexual comments
• Taunting
• Threatening to cause harm

Social Bullying

• (Relational Bullying) hurting someone’s reputation or relationships   
• Leaving someone out on purpose
• Telling other children not to be friends with someone
• Spreading rumors about someone
• Embarrassing someone in public

Physical bullying

• Hurting a person’s body or possessions  
• Hitting/kicking/pinching
• Spitting
• Tripping/pushing
• Taking or breaking someone’s things
• Making mean or rude hand gestures

The State of Iowa's Policy

A safe and civil school environment is necessary for students to learn and achieve at high academic levels. Harassing and bullying behavior can seriously disrupt the ability of school employees to maintain a safe and civil environment, and the ability of students to learn and succeed. Therefore, it is the policy of the state of Iowa that school employees, volunteers, and students in Iowa schools shall not engage in harassing or bullying behavior. Iowa Code § 280.28.

What is considered bullying in school?

“Harassment” and “bullying” mean any electronic, written, verbal, or physical act or conduct toward a student which is based on any actual or perceived trait or characteristic of the student and which creates an objectively hostile school environment that meets one or more of the following conditions:

• Places the student in reasonable fear of harm to the student's person or property.
• Has a substantially detrimental effect on the student's physical or mental health.
• Has the effect of substantially interfering with a student's academic performance.
• Has the effect of substantially interfering with the student's ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by a school. Iowa Code § 280.28

Means of Bullying

“Bullying” is not limited to physical assaults. It includes electronic, written, verbal or physical acts toward a student, which are based on “personal traits” and create a “hostile school environment.”

“Personal traits” include but are not limited to age, color, creed, national origin, race, religion, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical attributes, physical or mental ability or disability, ancestry, political party preference, political belief, socioeconomic status, or familial status.

Electronic Bullying

“Electronic” means any communication involving the transmission of information by wire, radio, optical cable, electromagnetic, or other similar means. “Electronic” includes but is not limited to communication via electronic mail, internet-based communications, pager service, cell phones, and electronic text messaging.

What is a Hostile School Environment?

• When the student is afraid he or she will be hurt;
• When the student is afraid his or her things will be damaged;
• When the student's physical or mental health is harmed;
• One that interferes with the student's academic performance; or
• When the student's ability to participate in school events is affected.

What is the school required to do to prevent this behavior?

Implement a policy that, at a minimum, contains the following:

• A statement declaring harassment and bullying to be against state and school policy, and making the policy applicable to all school employees, volunteers, and students in school, on school property, or at any school function or school-sponsored activity;
• A definition of harassment and bullying that is consistent with the definition in Iowa Code §280.28
• Descriptions of what is expected from employees, students, volunteers and parents/guardians when it comes to preventing, reporting and investigating bullying and harassment;
• The consequences and appropriate remedial action for a person who violates the policy;
• Procedures for reporting bullying and harassment, including the contact person for reporting incidents;
• Procedures for investigating bullying and harassment, including who is responsible for investigations and how they will decide if bullying or harassment has taken place; and
• Procedures the schools will use to publicize the policy each year.

What if bullying occurs outside of school?

Contact law enforcement because it may be considered harassment.

A person commits harassment when, with intent to intimidate, annoy, or alarm another person, the person communicates with another by telephone, telegraph, writing, or via electronic communication without legitimate purpose and in a manner likely to cause the other person annoyance or harm. Iowa Code § 708.7(1)(a)(1).