Reporting Hazing, Harassment, and Bullying

Bullying is when one student, or a group of students, does something mean or hurtful to another student. This can happen in person or online. For something to be called bullying:

• It happens more than once.

• It is meant to make the other student feel bad, embarrassed, or scared.

• It happens at school, on the school bus, or at a school event. It can also happen outside of school or online, but it still matters if it makes it hard for the student to go to school or learn.

Harassment means when someone says or does something hurtful to another person, in person or online, because of things like their race, religion, where they come from, disability, sex, who they like, or their gender identity. Harassment can happen by talking, writing, showing pictures, or touching. If it happens to a student or their family member and makes it hard for the student to learn or feel safe at school, it is considered harassment.

Harassment can include these things:

• Sexual harassment: This means that someone is acting in a sexual way that is not wanted, such as making rude comments, showing inappropriate pictures, asking for sexual favors, or any type of unwanted touching. Sexual harassment also includes situations where a student feels they have to go along with this behavior to do well in school or avoid trouble, or if saying no or yes affects how they are treated. It can also mean a student feels unsafe or unwelcome because of repeated or very serious sexual behavior from others, including other students or people not working at the school.

• Racial harassment: This means someone is being mean or rude because of another person’s race or color. This could be name-calling, using mean words or insults, making fun of how someone talks or looks, showing rude pictures or messages, or being rude about a person’s culture or family.

• Harassment of other protected groups: This happens when someone is picked on because of their religion, where they are from, if their parents are married or not, a disability, their sex, who they like, or their gender identity. It can include name-calling, mean or insulting words, rude gestures, threats, hurtful pictures or writing, or making fun of someone’s customs or the way they talk.

Hazing means when a student does something on purpose, or without thinking first, to another student that could hurt them mentally or physically. This usually happens when someone is trying to join, become a member of, or hold a special job in a school club, team, or group. Hazing can be done by one person or by a group of people.

Hazing does not include normal activities for classes, clubs, sports, or training programs if:

• The school says these activities are okay,

• The activities are safe, have a real purpose, and are done like other schools do them.

A student is anyone who:

• Is going to school,

• Has been accepted to go to the school,

• Or plans to go to the school after a break.

In short: Hazing is when a student or group of students tries to hurt another student’s body or mind while joining or being in a school group, unless it’s an approved and safe school activity.

Retaliation means when someone treats a person badly because that person reported bullying, harassment, or hazing. It can also happen to someone who helps with the investigation or hearing about the problem. This bad treatment can be done by a teacher or school worker to a student. Examples are making the student’s grades worse, suspending or sending them out of school, changing their school activities, taking away their privileges, or punishing them unfairly. Retaliation can also happen when one student treats another student badly because of these reasons.