Bullying & Cyber-bullying

Cyber-bullying is an act that occurs on electronic devices such as computers, tablets, or cell phones, such as sending demeaning or hateful text messages, direct messages or public posts on social media apps, gaming forums, or emails, spreading rumors by email or by posting on social networking sites, shaming or humiliating by allowing others to view, participate in, or share disparaging or harmful content, or posting or sharing embarrassing photos, videos, website, or fake profiles.

Cyberbullying includes the electronic creation or transmission of harassing communications, direct threats, or other harmful texts, sounds, or images, which may be shared, sent, or posted publicly. Cyberbullying may include, but is not limited to, personal or private information that causes humiliation, false or negative information to discredit or disparage, or threats of physical harm. Cyberbullying may also include breaking into another person’s electronic account or assuming that persons online identity in order to damage that person’s reputation.

Cyberbullying can also occur on social media forums such as, but not limited to:

1. Internet websites with free registration and ease of registration
2. Internet websites offering peer-to-peer instant messaging
3. Internet websites offering comment forums or sections
4. Internet websites offering image or video posting platforms

When a student is reported or observed to be engaging in bullying off campus, which often includes cyberbullying involving the use of social media, students and parents/ guardians are encouraged to report these concerns to a school site administrator or front office staff. Parents/ Guardians are also encouraged to help monitor their students' internet usage during non school hours. Parents/ Guardians, as well as school site administrators, may file a complaint with the internet site or service to have the harmful material removed.

• Online Bullying Training Module (PPTX)
• Bullying Module (DOCX)
  Bullying Training Modules for Staff, Parents/ Guardians, Students and Staff Members
   
• StopBullying.gov Bullying Prevention Training Course 
  This free training provides guidance on how to take a public health approach to bullying prevention through the use of long-term, community-wide prevention strategies.
   
• Common Sense Media
  • Reviews and ratings on movies, games, websites, TV, books and music
  • Information on the impact of media on children's physical, mental and social development
  • Tips for parents on how to manage their children's media
  • Resources for educators
     
• Bullying Prevention and Response for Neurodiverse Children and Teens
  Statewide Resources for Bullying Prevention and Response for TK-12 Neurodiverse Students
   
• GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network) 
  This network provides resources and support for schools to implement effective and age-appropriate anti-bullying programs to improve school climate for all students.
   
• Gay-Straight Alliance Network
  Gay-Straight Alliance Network connects school-based Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) to each other and community resources through peer support, leadership development, and training.
   
• The Trevor Project
  The Trevor Project is the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.
   
• Stop Bullying
  Stopbullying.gov is a national organization that provides information for students and adults defining bullying/cyberbullying, and offering advice on how to address the issues, resources, and materials.
   
• Teaching Tolerance 
  Teaching Tolerance is a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center. It includes classroom resources and materials on bullying, cyberbullying, and school climate among many other topics related to tolerance.

Being bullied can be embarrassing, scary and very hurtful, but you should know that bullying should not be tolerated. If you are being bullied, research studies show that the following self actions have the most positive difference in stopping or reducing bullying behaviors:

• Tell a trusted adult . This can be your parent, teacher, or other trusted adult at school.
• Report it Anonymously. IUSD's Say Something Anonymous Reporting System enables students to seek support anonymously for themselves or for friends.
• Utilize your peers. Power in numbers- talk to and involve as many people as possible: friends, classmates, teachers, adults on campus.
• Write down what happened. Who was bullying? Where did it happen? Who did what? Who saw it?
• Keep telling adults. If you continue to be bullied, keep telling adults until the situation is resolved.
• Join a club, a team, or a group. This is a great way to make new friends and build positive relationships.

For additional strategies please visit stopbullying.gov

If you are a Victim . . .

1. You are not responsible for a bully's behavior. It's not your fault.
2. Don't respond to bullies by giving in, getting upset, or fighting back-this will encourage them. Instead, stay calm and be assertive.
3. Get help from a trusted adult. Adults can help you figure out new ways to respond the next time a bully bothers you.

If you are a Bystander . . .

1. Your involvement makes a difference. Don't just stand by and watch quietly.
2. Stand up for the person being bullied. If you feel safe, tell the bully to stop. Use phrases such as "Stop teasing!" "Don't fight!" "Leave him alone!" and "It's not funny!"
3. Don't join in. Don't laugh at the victim or participate in the teasing, harassing, or fighting. This encourages the bully to continue and can make the situation worse.
4. Help the victim walk away. A victim may be too afraid to leave on his or her own, but will do so with the help of a friend.
5. Encourage other bystanders to help the victim. Tell them not to join in the bullying.
6. Get help from a trusted adult. Report the bullying.
7. Afterward, tell the victim you feel bad about what happened. Encourage victims to talk to an adult, and offer to go with them.
8. Include the victim in activities. Be a good friend.

For additional strategies please visit stopbullying.gov

A culture of silence often surrounds bullying. Many children who are bullied never tell anyone.

Most bullying is not reported because children . . .

• Don't recognize it as bullying
• Are embarrassed
• Don't want to appear weak
• Believe they deserve it
• Want to belong
• Fear retaliation
• Don't know how to talk about it
• Don't have a trusted adult to confide in
• Think adults won't understand
• Think nothing can be done about it

Just because you don't see it, and others don't talk about it, doesn't mean bullying isn't happening. Even when children fail to report bullying, they often show warning signs.

What are some warning signs of bullying?

• Unexplained damage or loss of clothing and other personal items
• Evidence of physical abuse, such as bruises and scratches
• Loss of friends; changes in friends
• Reluctance to participate in activities with peers
• Loss of interest in favorite activities
• Unusually sad, moody, anxious, lonely, or depressed
• Problems with eating, sleeping, bed-wetting
• Headaches, stomachaches, or other physical complaints
• Decline in school achievement
• Thoughts of suicide

If you notice any of the warning signs above, or if your student has told you they are being bullied:

1. Talk to your student about the problem and different ways to resolve it
2. Report the behavior to your child's school/ teacher/ administrator
3. Monitor social media activity if applicable
4. Empower your student with strategies to avoid future bullying cases
5. Continue to check in with them, even after the current situation has been resolved
6. Seek additional mental health support if necessary, either at your child's school or through outside resources

IUSD has implemented measures to prevent bullying in schools, including, but not limited to, the following:

1. Ensuring that each school establishes clear rules for student and staff conduct and implements strategies to promote a positive, supportive, and collaborative school climate.
2. Providing pertinent information to students about district and school rules related to bullying, mechanisms available for reporting incidents or threats, and the consequences for engaging in bullying.
3. Encouraging students through education, handbooks, assemblies, or other means, to notify school staff when they are being bullied or when they suspect that another student is being bullied, and providing means by which students may report threats or incidents confidentially and anonymously.
4. If necessary, increasing supervision and security in areas where bullying most often occurs, such as playgrounds, hallways, restrooms, and cafeterias.
5. Annually notifying district employees that, pursuant to Education Code 234.1, any school staff who witnesses an act of bullying against a student has a responsibility to immediately intervene to stop the incident when it is safe to do so.

For site specific information and prevention measures please reach out to your school site principal and refer to your school's code of conduct.