Below is the model bullying policy made available by the Alabama State Department of Education for school districts within Alabama to use when crafting their own bullying and cyberbullying policies. Each state’s policies vary when it comes to how they: define bullying, harassment, threats, intimidation, and violence; expect reporting and investigating to be carried out, specify response strategies, define penalties, and prescribe certain types of prevention programs and practices. We recommend that you review and consider updating your own bullying policy on an annual basis with input from educators, administrators, counselors, mental health professionals, parents, and students themselves. That will optimize the likelihood that the policy you implement achieves its goals. Last Updated: Date Accessed: July 22, 2019 URL of Source: https://www.alsde.edu/sec/pss/Laws/Model%20Anti-Harassment%20Policy%20Memo.pdf Introduction In response to the directive of Act No. 2009-571, Student Harassment Prevention Act, the State Department of Education (SDE] has developed the following model anti-harassment policy for lac.al education agencies [LEAs) to use in the development of their local policy. It is the Intent of this policy to ensure that ALL of Alabama’s students participate in a supportive learning environment free from harassment. To support LEAs in this effort, the SDE will be providing a series of professional development opportunities to assist LEAs as they develop practices and procedures in support of their policy. No student shall engage in or be subjected to harassment, violence, threats of violence, or intimidation by any other student that is based on any of the specific characteristics that have been identified by the Board in this policy, Students who violate this policy will be subject to disciplinary sanctions. Definition The term “harassment” as used in this policy means a continuous pattern of intentional behavior that takes place on school property, on a school bus, or at a school sponsored function including, but not limited to, written, electronic, verbal, or physical acts that are reasonably perceived as being motivated by any characteristic of a student, or by the ll.9sociation of a student with an individual who has a particular characteristic, if the characteristic falls into one of the categories of personal characteristics set forth in Section 3(6) below. To constitute harassment, a pattern of behavior may do any of the following:
- Place a student in reasonable fear of harm to his or her person or damage to his or her property.
- Have the effect of substantially interfering with the educational performance, opportunities, or benefits of a student.
- Have the effect of substantially disrupting or interfering with the orderly operation of the school.
- Have the effect of creating a hostile environment in the school, on school property, on a school bus, or at a school-sponsored function.
- Have the effect of being sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive enough to create an intimidating, threatening, or abusive educational environment for a student. The term “violence” as used in this policy means the infliction of physical force by a student with the intent to cause injury to another student or damage to the property of another student.
- The term “threat of violence” as used in this policy means an expression of intention to inflict injury or damage that is made by a student and directed to another student.
- The student’s race;
- The student’s sex;
- The student’s religion;
- The student’s national origin; or
- The student’s disability.