Bullying is when a student or students are being exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more students. Bullying exists when…

• There is intentional harm-doing.
• Where a negative action is repeated over time,
• There is an imbalance of power.

RCW 28A.300.285 defines harassment, intimidation, or bullying as an intentional electronic, written, verbal or physical act that:

• Physically harms a student or damages the student’s property
• Has the effect of substantially interfering with a student’s education
• Is so severe, persistent or pervasive that it creates an intimidating or threatening educational environment
• Has the effect of substantially disrupting the orderly operation of the school

Our state law specifically mentions electronic forms of bullying. This is commonly referred to as “cyberbullying”.

• Cyberbullying is done in a variety of ways using a variety of devices, but it is not just a technology issue.
• There is a very close relationship between cyberbullying and ‘regular’ bullying.
• They are very likely one and the same for students.

It’s the law. We are required to address bullying.

• It’s the right thing to do!
• There are potential long-term negative effects on those involved.
• There is potential negative impact on school climate.
• There is a connection between bullying and academic achievement.

In addition to state law, there are liability issues. Schools may be found liable if it can be shown that:

• The school environment has been altered for a targeted student(s).
• Any staff knew or should have known.
• There was a failure to act.
• There was deliberate indifference.

Everyone! Bullying is a community event. It negatively impacts school climate.The key people are the:

• Targeted Student – The person on the receiving end who often needs help and support.

Targeted students are sometimes referred to as victims; they can be anyone.
Some students tend to be more likely targets than other.

• Aggressor – The one who bullies – bullying is a learned behavior.

Aggressors are the ones who bully. They are the perpetrators of the negative behavior.
Some young people are both bully and target depending on their circumstances; they are of particular concern.

• Bystanders – All the rest of us.

Bystanders can be active or passive, can be helpful or hurtful.
They are negatively affected by bullying and can be a powerful force in stopping bullying.

No, bullying can look like and be related to other aggressive behavior such as:

• Harassment – sexual, racial/ethnic, religious
• Intimidation
• Hazing
• Dating violence
• Spousal abuse
• Child abuse.

Keep all of these terms in mind when talking about “bullying.”

Bullying is a community activity and impacts everyone. Some of those impacts on targets include:

• Truancy and absences
• Decreased self-esteem
• Headaches
• Depression
• Emotional distress / anxiety
• Reduced academic risk taking
• Increased suicidal/homicidal ideation and attempts

Bullying is a community activity and impacts everyone.
Some of the impacts on aggressors include:

• Failure to develop healthy relationships
• More likely to continue to be abusive later in life
• Less likely to complete their education

Almost 60% of boys who were bully-aggressors in grades 6 thru 9 were convicted of at least one crime by age 24… 40% of them had three or more convictions by that age. (Fight Crime 2003)

Some of those impacts on bystanders and climate include:

• Feeling vulnerable and afraid
• Feeling helpless in the situation
• Feeling guilty for not helping
• Having diminished empathy
• Establishing a climate of fear
• Leading to diminished student learning

There are several ways you can determine the extent of bullying in your district or at your school.

• Surveys
• Listen and observe
  • What are staff perceptions?
  • What are parent’s perceptions?
  • What are students telling us?
• Track our data (UBS’s, discipline data, etc.)

Recognize and understand the issues.

• We’re working on ensuring everyone understands policy and procedures (students, staff, and parents).
• Looking over your data.
• Involving our entire staff and school community in prevention-intervention efforts.
• We identified a tested-effective program to implement: Safe and Civil Schools.
• Trained our staff.
• Implement selected program with fidelity.
• We continue to monitor and work with our school community.

Harassment, intimidation and bullying of students are prohibited.

• The aggressor may be another student or it may be an adult member of the district or school staff.
• Adult-on-adult HIB is NOT included under the law, the policy or the procedures.

Adapted from The School Safety Center (OSPI WASHINGTON STATE)