5131.2 - Bullying

The County Superintendent of Schools recognizes the harmful effects of bullying on student learning and school attendance and desires to provide safe school environments that protect students from physical and emotional harm. County employees place student safety as a high priority and bullying of any student is not tolerated.

No student or group of students shall, through physical, written, verbal or other means, harass, sexually harass, threaten, intimidate cyberbully, cause bodily injury to, or commit hate violence against any other student or school personnel. Cyberbullying includes the transmission of harassing communications, direct threats, or other harmful texts, sounds, or images on the Internet, social media or other technologies using a telephone, computer or any wireless device. Cyberbullying also includes breaking into another person’s electronic account and assuming that person’s identity in order to damage that person’s reputation. When the circumstances involve cyberbullying, individuals with information about the activity shall be encouraged to save and print any electronic or digital messages that they feel constituted cyberbullying and to notify a teacher, the principal, or other employee so that the matter may be investigated. When a student uses a social networking site or service to bully or harass another student, the Superintendent or designee shall file a request with the networking site or service to suspend the privileges of the student and to have the material removed.

Other acts of bullying include those that are reasonably perceived as being motivated either by an actual or perceived attribute that includes but is not limited to race, religion, creed, color, marital status, parental status, veteran status, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, ancestry, national origin, ethnic group identification, age, mental or physical disability or any other distinguishing characteristic.

To the extent possible, district and school strategies shall focus on prevention of bullying by establishing clear rules for student conduct and strategies to establish a positive, collaborative school climate. Students shall be informed, through student handbooks and other appropriate means, of district and school rules related to bullying, mechanisms available for reporting incidents or threats, and the consequences for perpetrators of bullying.

The district may provide students with instruction, in the classroom or other educational settings, that promotes effective communication and conflict resolution skills, social skills, character/values education, respect for cultural and individual differences, self-esteem development, assertiveness skills, and appropriate online behavior.

School staff shall receive related professional development, including information about early warning signs of harassing/intimidating behaviors and effective prevention and intervention strategies.

Based on an assessment of bullying incidents at school, the Superintendent of designee may increase supervision and security in areas where bullying most often occurs, such as classrooms, playgrounds, hallways, restrooms and cafeterias.

Students are encouraged to contact the school staff, principal or designee, or another County Superintendent of Schools’ administrator when they are being bullied or suspect another student is being victimized. In addition, the Superintendent or designee shall develop means for students to report threats or incidents confidentially and anonymously. Incidents of bullying may be reported using the Uniform Complaint Procedure (See policy 1312.3). School staff who witness bullying shall immediately intervene to stop the incident when it is safe to do so. Strategies for bullying prevention and intervention are part of the Safe Schools Plan.

When a student is reported to be engaged in school-related bullying on or off-campus, the school administrator or designee shall investigate and document the incident. As appropriate, the administrator or designee will notify the parents/guardians of victims and perpetrators. He or she may also involve and notify mental health counselors and/or law enforcement if warranted.

Any student who engages in bullying on school premises, or off-campus in a manner that causes or is likely to cause a substantial disruption of a school activity or school attendance, shall be subject to discipline, which may include suspension or expulsion, in accordance with district policies and regulations.

Education Code
200-262.4 Prohibition of discrimination
32282 Comprehensive safety plan
35181 Responsibility of students
35291-35291.5 Rules
48900-48925 Suspension or expulsion

Approved: May 6, 2014