POLICY
Date Created: December, 2008
Date Edited: February, 2009
5512.01- HARASSMENT, INTIMIDATION, AND BULLYING (M)
M
Policy Statement
The Board of Education prohibits acts of harassment, intimidation, or
bullying of a pupil. A safe and civil environment in school is necessary
for pupils to learn and achieve high academic standards. Harassment,
intimidation, or bullying, like other disruptive or violent behaviors, is
conduct that disrupts both a pupil’s ability to learn and a school’s
ability to educate its pupils in a safe and disciplined environment.
Since pupils learn by example, school administrators, faculty, staff and
volunteers should be commended for demonstrating appropriate behavior,
treating others with civility and respect, and refusing to tolerate
harassment, intimidation, or bullying.
“Harassment, intimidation, or bullying” means any gesture, written, verbal
or physical act, or any electronic communication, that takes place on
school property, at any school-sponsored function or on a school bus and
that:
1. Is motivated by any actual or perceived characteristic, such as
race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual
orientation, gender identity and expression, or a mental, physical or
sensory disability; or
2. By any other distinguishing characteristic; and
3. A reasonable person should know, under the circumstances, that
the act(s) will have the effect of harming a pupil or damaging the pupil’s
property, or placing a pupil in reasonable fear of harm to his/her person
or damage to his/her property; or
4. Has the effect of insulting or demeaning any pupil or group of
pupils in such a way as to cause substantial disruption in, or substantial
interference with, the orderly operation of the school.
“Electronic communication” means communication transmitted by means of an
electronic device, including, but not limited to, a telephone, cellular
phone, computer, or pager.
Acts of harassment, intimidation, or bullying may also be a pupil
exercising power and control over another pupil, either in isolated
incidents (e.g., intimidation, harassment) or patterns of harassing or
intimidating behavior (e.g., bullying).
This Policy may impose consequences for acts of harassment, intimidation,
or bullying that occur off school grounds, such as cyber-bullying (e.g.,
the use of electronic or wireless devices to harass, intimidate, or
bully), to the extent this Policy complies with the provisions of N.J.A.C.
6A:16-7.6, Conduct Away from School Grounds, and the district’s code of
pupil conduct, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.1. In all instances of
harassment, intimidation, or bullying behavior occurring off school
grounds, the consequences only may be exercised when it is reasonably
necessary for the pupil’s physical or emotional safety and well-being or
for reasons relating to the safety and well-being of other pupils, staff
or school grounds, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:25-2 and 18A:37-2, and when
the conduct which is the subject of a proposed consequence materially and
substantially interferes with the requirements of appropriate discipline
in the operation of the school. All acts of harassment, intimidation, or
bullying that include the use of school property (e.g., school computers,
other electronic or wireless communication devices) apply to the
provisions of N.J.S.A. 18A:37-15 and N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.9, harassment,
intimidation, and bullying, whether the subject or recipient of the
bullying is on or off school property.
Expected Behavior
The Board expects pupils to conduct themselves in keeping with their
levels of development, maturity and demonstrated capabilities with proper
regard for the rights and welfare of other pupils and school staff, the
educational purpose underlying all school activities and the care of
school facilities and equipment consistent with the code of pupil conduct.
The Board believes that standards for pupil behavior must be set
cooperatively through interaction among the pupils, parent(s) or legal
guardian(s), staff and community members, producing an atmosphere that
encourages pupils to grow in self-discipline. The development of this
atmosphere requires respect for self and others, as well as for school
district and community property on the part of pupils, staff and community
members.
The Board believes the best discipline is self-imposed, and it is the
responsibility of school district staff to use instances of violations of
the code of pupil conduct as opportunities to help pupils learn to assume
and accept responsibility for their behavior and the consequences of their
behavior. Staff members who interact with pupils shall apply best
practices designed to prevent pupil conduct problems and foster pupils’
abilities to grow in self-discipline.
General
guidelines for pupil conduct will be developed by the
Administrator, in conjunction with school staff, and approved by the
Board. These guidelines will be developed based on accepted core ethical
values from a broad community involvement with input from parent(s) or
legal guardian(s) and other community representatives, school employees,
volunteers, pupils and administrators. These guidelines for pupil conduct
will be suited to the developmental ages of pupils, the severity of the
offenses and pupils’ histories of inappropriate behaviors, and the mission
and physical facilities of the individual school(s) in the district. This
Policy requires all pupils in the district to adhere to these rules and
guidelines and to submit to the remedial and consequential measures that
are appropriately assigned for infractions of these rules and guidelines.
The district prohibits active or passive support for acts of harassment,
intimidation, or bullying. Pupils are encouraged to support other pupils
who walk away from these acts when they see them, constructively attempt
to stop them, and report these acts to the Building Principal or designee.
Pupils are required to conform to reasonable standards of socially
acceptable behavior; respect the person, property and rights of others;
obey constituted authority; and respond to school district teaching,
support and administrative staff. Each Building Principal will develop
and provide a school-based program for appropriate recognition for
positive reinforcement for good conduct, self-discipline, good citizenship
and academic success.
Consequences and Appropriate Remedial Actions
The Board of Education requires its school administrators to implement
procedures that ensure both the appropriate consequences and remedial
responses for pupils and staff members who commit one or more acts of
harassment, intimidation, or bullying, consistent with the code of pupil
conduct. The following factors, at a minimum, shall be given full
consideration by school administrators in the implementation of
appropriate consequences and remedial measures for each act of harassment,
intimidation, or bullying by pupils. Appropriate consequences and
remedial actions are those that are graded according to the severity of
the offense(s), and consider the developmental ages of the pupil offenders
and pupils’ histories of inappropriate behaviors, per the code of pupil
conduct.
Factors for Determining Consequences
1. Age, developmental and maturity levels of the parties involved;
2. Degrees of harm;
3. Surrounding circumstances;
4. Nature and severity of the behavior(s);
5. Incidences of past or continuing patterns of behavior;
6. Relationships between the parties involved; and
7. Context in which the alleged incidents occurred.
Factors for Determining Remedial Measures
Personal
1. Life skill deficiencies;
2. Social relationships;
3. Strengths;
4. Talents;
5. Traits;
6. Interests;
7. Hobbies;
8. Extra-curricular activities;
9. Classroom participation; and
10. Academic performance.
Environmental
1. School culture;
2. School climate;
3. Pupil-staff relationships and staff behavior toward the pupil;
4. General staff management of classrooms or other educational
environments;
5. Staff ability to prevent and manage difficult or inflammatory
situations;
6. Social-emotional and behavioral supports;
7. Social relationships;
8. Community activities;
9. Neighborhood situation; and
10. Family situation.
Consequences and appropriate remedial action for pupils who commit acts of
harassment, intimidation, or bullying may range from positive behavioral
interventions up to and including suspension or expulsion, as set forth in
the Board adopted Pupil Discipline/Code of Conduct pursuant to N.J.A.C.
6A:16-7.1. Consequences for a pupil who commits an act of harassment,
intimidation, or bullying shall be varied and graded according to the
nature of the behavior, the developmental age of the pupil and the pupil’s
history of problem behaviors and performance, and must be consistent with
the district’s code of pupil conduct. Remedial measures shall be designed
to correct the problem behavior, prevent another occurrence of the
problem, protect and provide support for the victim of the act, and take
corrective action for documented systemic problems related to harassment,
intimidation, and bullying. The consequences and remedial measures may
include, but are not limited to, the examples listed below:
Examples of Consequences
1. Admonishment;
2. Temporary removal from the classroom;
3. Deprivation of privileges;
4. Classroom or administrative detention;
5. Referral to disciplinarian;
6. In-school suspension during the school week or the weekend;
7. After-school programs;
8. Out-of-school suspension (short-term or long-term);
9. Legal action; and
10. Expulsion.
Examples of Remedial Measures - Personal
1. Restitution and restoration;
2. Mediation;
3. Peer support group;
4. Recommendations of a pupil behavior or ethics council;
5. Corrective instruction or other relevant learning or service
experience;
6. Supportive pupil interventions, including participation of the
Intervention and Referral Services Team, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:16-8;
7. Behavioral assessment or evaluation, including, but not limited
to, a referral to the Child Study Team, as appropriate;
8. Behavioral management plan, with benchmarks that are closely
monitored;
9. Assignment of leadership responsibilities (e.g., hallway or bus
monitor);
10. Involvement of school disciplinarian;
11. Pupil counseling;
12. Parent conferences;
13. Pupil treatment; or
14. Pupil therapy.
Examples of Remedial Measures –
Environmental (Classroom,
or
1. School and community surveys or other strategies for
determining the conditions contributing to harassment, intimidation, or
bullying;
2. School culture change;
3. School climate improvement;
4. Adoption of research-based, systemic bullying prevention
programs;
5. School policy and procedures revisions;
6. Modifications of schedules;
7. Adjustments in hallway traffic;
8. Modifications in pupil routes or patterns traveling to and from
school;
9. Targeted use of monitors (e.g., hallway, cafeteria, bus);
10. Small or large group presentations for fully addressing the
behaviors and the responses to the behaviors;
11. General professional development programs for certificated and
non-certificated staff;
12. Professional development plans for involved staff;
13. Disciplinary action for school staff who contributed to the
problem;
14. Supportive institutional interventions, including participation
of the Intervention and Referral Services Team, pursuant to N.J.A.C.
6A:16-8;
15. Parent conferences;
16. Family counseling;
17. Involvement of parent-teacher organizations;
18. Involvement of community-based organizations;
19. Development of a general bullying response plan;
20. Recommendations of a pupil behavior or ethics council;
21. Peer support groups;
22. School transfers; and
23. Law enforcement (e.g., school resource office, juvenile officer)
involvement.
N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.9(a)2.vi requires appropriate consequences and remedial
actions for any staff member who commits an act of harassment,
intimidation, or bullying. The consequences may include, but not be
limited to, verbal or written reprimand, increment withholding, legal
action, disciplinary action, and/or termination. Remedial measures may
include, but not be limited to, in or out–of-school counseling,
professional development programs, and work environment modifications.
Reporting Procedure
Complaints alleging violations of this Policy shall be reported to the
Principal or designee. All school employees as well as all other members
of the school community including pupils, parent(s) or legal guardian(s),
volunteers, and visitors are required to report alleged violations of this
Policy to the Principal or designee. While submission of an Incident
Report Form to the Principal or designee is not required, the reporting
party is encouraged to use the Incident Report Form available from the
Building Principal or available at the school district’s administrative
offices or the reporting party may use a district’s web-based reporting
system. Oral reports shall also be considered official reports. Reports
may be made anonymously, but formal disciplinary action may not be based
solely on the basis of an anonymous report.
A school employee who promptly reports an incident of harassment,
intimidation, or bullying in accordance with this Policy, and who makes
this report in compliance with the procedures set forth in this Policy, is
immune from a cause of action for damages arising from any failure to
remedy the reported incident, as set forth in N.J.S.A. 18A:37-16.c.
Investigation
The Principal or designee is responsible for determining whether an
alleged act constitutes a violation of this Policy. The Principal or
designee shall conduct a prompt, thorough and complete investigation of
the alleged incident. The Principal or designee will maintain a record of
each investigation regarding allegations of harassment, intimidation, or
bullying.
Response to an Incident of Harassment, Intimidation, or Bullying
An appropriate response will be provided to the individual who commits any
incident of harassment, intimidation, or bullying. Some acts of
harassment, intimidation, or bullying may be isolated incidents requiring
the school respond appropriately to the individual(s) committing the acts.
Other acts may be so serious or parts of a larger pattern of harassment,
intimidation, or bullying that require a response either at the classroom,
school building or school district level or by law enforcement officials.
Consequences and appropriate remedial actions for pupils who commit an act
of harassment, intimidation, or bullying may range from positive
behavioral interventions up to and including suspension or expulsion, as
permitted under N.J.S.A. 18A:37-1, Discipline of Pupils and as set forth
in N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.2, Short-term Suspensions, N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.3,
Long-term Suspensions and N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.5, Expulsions.
In considering whether a response beyond the individual level is
appropriate, the administrator shall consider the nature and circumstances
of the act, the degree of harm, the nature and severity of the behavior,
past incidences or past or continuing patterns of behavior, and the
context in which the alleged incident(s) occurred. The school district’s
responses can range from school and community surveys, to mailings, to
focus groups, to adoption of research-based bullying prevention program
models, to training for certificated and non-certificated staff. The
district’s responses may also include participation of parent(s) or legal
guardian(s) and other community members and organizations, small or large
group presentations for fully addressing the actions and the school
district’s response to the actions, in the context of acceptable pupil and
staff member behavior and the consequences of such actions, and the
involvement of law enforcement officers, including school resource
officers. The district will also make resources available to individual
victims of harassment, intimidation, and bullying, including, but not
limited to, school counseling services and environmental modifications.
Reprisal or Retaliation Prohibited
The Board prohibits reprisal or retaliation against any person who reports
an act of harassment, intimidation, or bullying. The consequence and
appropriate remedial action for a person who engages in reprisal or
retaliation shall be determined by the Principal or designee after
consideration of the nature, severity and circumstances of the act, in
accordance with case law, Federal and State statutes and regulations and
district policies and procedures. The consequences for pupils will range
from positive behavior interventions up to and including suspension or
expulsion. The consequences for employees will range from an admonishment
to termination of employment. The consequences for a volunteer will range
from an admonishment to dismissal from the volunteer position.
Consequences for False Accusation
The Board prohibits any person from falsely accusing another as a means of
harassment, intimidation, or bullying. Consequences and appropriate
remedial action for a pupil found to have falsely accused another as a
means of harassment, intimidation, or bullying may range from positive
behavioral interventions up to and including suspension or expulsion, as
permitted under N.J.S.A. 18A:37-1 et seq., Discipline of Pupils and as set
forth in N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.2, Short-term Suspensions, N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7,
Long-term Suspensions and N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.5, Expulsions.
Consequences and appropriate remedial action for a school employee found
to have falsely accused another as a means of harassment, intimidation, or
bullying shall be in accordance with district policies, procedures, and
agreements.
Consequences and appropriate remedial action for a visitor or volunteer
found to have falsely accused another as a means of harassment,
intimidation, or bullying shall be determined by the Principal or
designee, after consideration of the nature, severity and circumstances of
the act, which may include a report to appropriate law enforcement
officials.
Policy Publication
This Policy will be disseminated annually to all school staff, pupils,
parent(s) or legal guardian(s), along with a statement explaining the
Policy applies to all applicable acts of harassment, intimidation, or
bullying that occur on school property, at school-sponsored functions, or
on a school bus. The Superintendent shall ensure notice of this Policy
appears in any publication of the school district that sets forth the
comprehensive rules, procedures, and standards for schools within the
district, and in any pupil handbook that includes the pupil code of
conduct. This notice shall also indicate the district’s Harassment,
Intimidation, and Bullying Policy is available on the district’s website.
Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying Prevention Programs
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:37-17.(5)(c) and N.J.A.C.6A:16-7.9(d)1.i,
information regarding the district’s Harassment, Intimidation, and
Bullying Policy shall be incorporated into a school’s employee training
program.
Pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.9(d)3, the district is required to annually
review the extent and characteristics of harassment, intimidation, and
bullying behavior in the schools of the district and implement locally
determined programmatic or other responses, if determined appropriate by
the district Board of Education.
Pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.9(d)1, the school district is required to
annually review the training needs of district staff for the effective
implementation of the Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying Policy,
procedures, programs, and initiatives of the district Board of Education
and implement locally determined staff training programs consistent with
the annual review of training needs and the findings of the annual review
and update of the code of pupil conduct, pursuant to N.J.A.C.
6A:16-7.1(a)3, as determined appropriate by the district Board of
Education.
Pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.9(d)2, the school district is required to
develop a process for annually discussing the school district’s
Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying Policy with pupils.
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:37-15.1, this Policy shall be transmitted to the
Executive
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:37-19, the school district may apply to the
Commissioner of Education for additional costs due to the implementation
of the provisions of N.J.S.A. 18A:37-13 through N.J.S.A. 18A:37-18.
N.J.S.A. 18A:37-13 through 18A:37-19
N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.9 et seq.
Adopted: 8 December 2008
Revised: 9 February 2009