Bullying defined - When someone repeatedly does or says something to you for the purpose of hurting you or threatening to hurt you or to seriously alarm or embarass you in public.

Examples of bullying :

• Someone is threatening to beat you up in school, including when walking to ro from school, when you get off the bus, while talking to you on your cell phone or while you are online.
• Someone is taking something of yours without your permission.
• Someone is spreading rumors about you or your family.
• Someone is embarrassing you in front of others by either calling you names or doing something to you like hiding your books, pulling your seat out from under you, etc.
• Someone is telling other kids not to talk to you or be friends with you.
• Someone continues to shove into you in the halls and says it is always an accident.
• Someone is sexually harassing you. (following you around, whistling at you, making comments about your body or doing something to your body, touching you inappropriately, etc.)

Why do people bully? Two basic reasons: Have a deep troubling need of their own and is picked on or feels that their life is not very successful. They try to make themselves feel better by picking on someone else. They fall into a trap by thinking that bullying is just the cool thing to do in front of their peers. Too often, a bullies behavior is encouraged and not stopped. Witnessing bullying and not reporting it is encouraging bullying.

Reporting bullying is the responsible thing to do!

Students may report bullying to teachers or other school staff, the social worker, guidance counselors or to school administrators. There are also two ways of reporting bullying anonymously: 1) A drop box located in the main office and 2) Online form located on this page. Parents or guardians of students may also report suspected bullying with an administrator or through the online form located on this page. Any teachers or other school staff who witness acts of bullying or who receive student reports of bullying shall notify school administrators promptly of such acts. All reports of suspected bullying shall remain confidential.

Upon receipt of any of the foregoing reports, an administrator shall investigate within ten (10) school days of the receipt of such reports. In the event that the administrator believes there is reason to suspect that bullying has occurred, he or she shall follow general student discipline procedures.