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WHAT IS BULLYING?
What is bullying? As defined by the American Psychological Association, bullying is a type of aggressive behavior that takes place when an individual intentionally causes someone else discomfort on repeated occasions. People can experience bullying at any stage of life, but it most commonly happens among school-aged children. Students may begin exhibiting bullying behavior as early as preschool and kindergarten; if left unchecked, the behaviors tend to escalate and increase as they grow older.
Bullying can be exhibited through physical, verbal, or social hurt. Sometimes kids have bad days and may be mean to others but that does not necessarily mean that an act of bullying occurred. In order for a behavior to be considered “bullying,” three things must be true:
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The behavior is unwanted and aggressive
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There is an imbalance of power (e.g. physical strength or popularity)
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The behavior happened more than once or there is potential for it to happen more than once
By law, all schools are required to have anti-bullying policies in place. These will vary by individual school, but common components include:
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A mission statement, where the school outlines how students will learn in a safe and bully-free environment
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A code of conduct, where expected students behaviors are laid out in detail
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A bill of rights, a short and memorable document outlining the individual rights of students and how they can expect to be treated by teachers, staff and fellow students while at school
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A reporting system, with a clear and standardized protocol for students to report rule violations.
The “Bully Box” is a place where kids can report any bullying that they may have seen first- hand or bullying that has been happening to them. It is not required for a student to sign the form if they would like to remain anonymous.