Bullying Anonymous Reporting

If you are in immediate danger, CALL 911.

 

Big Pine Unified School District believes that all students have a right to a safe and healthy school environment. The Board of Trustees is committed to providing a respectful, inclusive and safe learning environment that protects students from discrimination, harassment, intimidation, bullying or any other type of behavior that is motivated by hate.

 

The District will not tolerate behavior that infringes on the rights and safety of any student. Neither staff nor students shall intimidate, harass or bully another student through works or actions.

In accordance with these beliefs and commitments, Big Pine Unified School District has adopted AR 5131.2, Bullying; and BP 5145.9, Hate-Motivated Behavior.

 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Stop Bullying website defines bullying as “unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time.” A power imbalance can include using physical strength, sharing embarrassing information, or using status to control or harm.

 

A one-time argument or disagreement where someone uses name-calling or foul language does not constitute bullying. However, if the argument is not resolved and both parties have not moved on, then lingering ill will may result in continued verbal, social (relational), and/or physical abuse. All school staff, as well as parents and families, are responsible for teaching and modeling respectful behavior and building safe and supportive learning environments and should monitor all potential causes of bullying.

 

Under Ed Code 230, bullying, based on sex, is the exclusion of a person or persons from participation in, denial of the benefits of, or subjection to harassment or other discrimination in, any academic, extracurricular, research, occupational training, or other program or activity.

 

You have the right to pursue civil remedies if you have been discriminated against. You have the right to be protected against retaliation if you file a discrimination complaint. (California Education Code section 221.8.)

 

Bullying behavior can be verbal, social (relational) and/or physical, as outlined below:

 

 

 

 

With the rise of mobile phones and hand-held devices, social media has become part of everyone’s life and the use of social media has seen the growth of online bullying. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat allow people to share photos and video instantly around the world. We communicate with our friends and family through social media and it has become a vital part of the business.
 
Unfortunately, these advancements in technology have also seen advancements in cyberbullying. We have seen an increase in bullying, harassment or victimization online. Social media gives bully’s a safe environment to say what they want and target whom they please. Forms of cyberbullying via social media can include the following:

 

We are focusing on this very serious issue and we are working closely with The Police, Facebook and other social media service providers, to work towards eliminating this unacceptable behavior. If you are a parent, take positive steps to protect your child when he or she uses a mobile phone or a computer. There is a great deal you can do to safeguard your child.
 
If someone is bullying you via social media, the first thing you should do is block the person that's bullying you and report them to the social media site. Try to document the bullying with a screenshot of the message or photo, as you may need this as proof. If your son or daughter is being cyberbullied on social media, you should also talk to the school. The chances are that the bullying is not isolated to just social media. The school has a duty of care to look after and protect your child and they must be made aware of any concerns you have. Below we have detailed the steps to block or report a bully via some of the more popular social platforms.