Lesson 9: No Bullying Policy

Bullying is aggressive behavior that is intentional, is repeated over time, and involves an imbalance of power or strength. Bullying can take on various forms, including:

• Physical bullying – when one person engages in physical force against another person, such as by hitting, punching, pushing, kicking, pinching, or restraining another.

• Verbal bullying – when someone uses their words to hurt another, such as by belittling or calling another hurtful names.

• Nonverbal or relational bullying – when one person manipulates a relationship or desired relationship to harm another person.This includes social exclusion, friendship manipulation, or gossip. This type of bullying also includes intimidating another person by using gestures.

• Cyberbullying – the intentional and overt act of aggression toward another person by way of any technological tool, such as email, instant messages, text messages, digital pictures or images, or website postings (including blogs). Cyberbullying can involve:

  • Sending mean, vulgar, or threatening messages or images.

  • Posting sensitive, private information about another person.

  • Pretending to be someone else in order to make that person look bad.

  • Intentionally excluding someone from an online group.

  • Hazing – an activity expected of someone joining or participating in a group that humiliates, degrades, abuses, or endangers that person regardless of that person’s willingness to participate.

  • Sexualized bullying – when bullying involves behaviors that are sexual in nature. Examples of sexualized bullying behaviors include sexting, bullying that involves exposures of private body parts, and verbal bullying involving sexualized language or innuendos.

Anyone who sees an act of bullying, and who then encourages it, is engaging in bullying. This policy applies to all employees and volunteers. Any employee or volunteer who violates this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.