Anti-Bullying and Harassment

Bullying is direct, indirect, or technology-based unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. In order to be considered bullying, the behavior must be aggressive and include: 

• An imbalance of power: Kids who bully use their power—such as physical strength, access to embarrassing information, or popularity—to control or harm others. Power imbalances can change over time and in different situations, even if they involve the same people. 
• Repetition: Bullying behaviors happen more than once or have the potential to happen more than once. 
   

Bullying and harassment are defined in Iowa Code section 280.28 as: Any electronic, written, verbal, or physical act or conduct toward a student which is based on any actual or perceived trait or characteristic of the student and which creates an objectively hostile school environment that meets one or more of the following conditions:

• Places the student in reasonable fear of harm to the student’s person or property. 
• Has a substantial detrimental effect on the student’s physical or mental health. 
• Has the effect of substantially interfering with a student’s academic performance. 
• Has the effect of substantially interfering with the student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by a school.

Bullying behavior can be:

• Verbal: speaking or writing mean things
• Social (Relational): hurting someone’s reputation or relationships
• Physical: hurting a person’s body or possessions
   

Conflict is not Bullying. A conflict is a disagreement or antagonism between two or more people. All parties involved have some responsibility for the encounter. It is not bullying when two or more kids with no perceived power imbalance, fight, have an argument or disagree. Conflict resolution strategies can be employed to find common ground when both parties have a vested interest in resolving the conflict. Peer mediation may be appropriate in conflict situations. Bullying is peer abuse and needs to be reported and treated as such. Peer mediation is not appropriate in bullying.

 

DCSD Anti-Bullying Policy

Iowa DEpt of Ed Guidance

Incident Form or Witness Statment