Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying

1. Raising Awareness about the HIB Policy Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying

2. Intent To strengthen standards for preventing, reporting, investigating, and responding to incidents of bullying andreduce the risk of suicide among students.

3. Historical Perspective in NJ • 2002 NJ HIB Law enacted mandating a district/school policy • 2007 Revised to include Cyber Bullying • 2009 Revised to include annual distribution and posting to the web • 2011 NEW NJ HIB Law enacted • aka “Anti Bullying Bill of Rights” • Broadest law in the United States

4. Who does what • Principal • Direct report • Anti Bullying Coordinator (ABC) • District overseer • Coordinator of Anti Bullying Specialists • Anti Bullying Specialist (ABS) • Investigator • Chair of School Safety/Climate Team • School Safety/Climate Team • Oversees “climate” of school: trends, trouble spots

5. Legal Expectation • All Board members, school employees, and volunteers and contracted service providers who have contact with pupils are required to report alleged violations of this Policy to the Principal or the Principal’s designee…

6. HIB Definition HIB means any gesture, any written, verbal or physical act, or any electronic communication, whether it be a single incident or a series of incidents, that: • is reasonably perceived as being motivated either 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 • by any other distinguishing characteristic “Electronic communication” means a communication transmitted by means of an electronic device, including, but not limited to, a telephone, cellular phone, computer, or pager.  

7. And that… • that takes place on school property, at any school-sponsored function, on a school bus, or off school grounds… that substantially disrupts or interferes with the orderly operation of the school or the rights of other students

8. And that… • A reasonable person should know, under the circumstances, that the act(s) will have the effect of physically or emotionally harming a pupil or damaging the pupil’s property, or placing a pupil in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm to his/her person or damage to his/her property; or • Has the effect of insulting or demeaning any pupil or group of pupils; or • Creates a hostile educational environment for the pupil by interfering with a pupil’s education or by severely or pervasively causing physical or emotional harm to the pupil.

9. Motivated by a Characteristic + Location (If off school grounds: must create a substantial disruption.) + Intent/Effect to harm HIB

10. Reporting • There is a Standardized Timeline for response and report. • Unalterable • There are Standardized Forms • Report Form • Initial parent letter- Bully version & Target version • Investigation Report: Pupil Accused • Investigation Report: Non Pupil Accused • Interview Form (target, witness, accused)

11. Education • Parent Education • SB Parent Academy HIB Seminars (Fall) • Student Education • First Two Weeks (Age-appropriate definition, Off School Grounds, AUP & Cyber Bullying) • Week of Respect (10/3) • Violence & Vandalism Awareness Week (10/17) • Yearlong integration into all subjects

12. Final thoughts • Bullying is not conflict; it’s abuse. • Bullying thrives on silence. • Upstanders are the key. • Can’t judge a bully by how he/she looks. • HIB is about behavior. • HIB is about motivation. • Keep your eye on the “target.” • HIB is about how the target feels and reacts.

13. Our ABC and ABS Anti Bullying Coordinator (ABC) Judy McCormick Amy Bertelsen-Robles (IF/ DA) Lynne Sultan-Weinstein (MJ) Vicki Moses (XRDN) Scott Roth (XRDS) Anastasia Marcella (SBHS) • Jackie Turner (BA) • Alice Priano (BC/DE) • Peggy Ehrhardt (CA) • Amy Finkelstein (CO) • Lori Woods (GB) Anti Bullying SPECIALISTs (ABS)

14. “No school can be a great school until it is a safe school first.” ~Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education