FAQs

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.”

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)