Below is the model bullying policy made available by the Kansas State Department of Education for school districts within Kansas 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: August 1, 2019 URL of Source: http://www.kdheks.gov/rpe/bullying_resources.htm Kansas Model Anti-Bullying Policy Date Accessed: August 1st, 2019. http://www.kdheks.gov/rpe/bullying_resources.htm Note: This model school/district bullying policy is presented as a guide for use by Kansas schools and districts to strengthen their bullying policies. Schools/districts are encouraged to develop or refine their own policies and procedures consistent with the needs of their students, school personnel and school environment.
I. Purpose
[School/district] is committed to providing a school climate with optimal learning conditions where all students and school personnel are safe and treated with respect. To meet these standards, bullying, harassment and intimidation of any kind are prohibited and violate this school bullying policy.II. Definition of Bullying & Harassment
A. Definitions
Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior that may occur in person or electronically and involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated over time. Individuals who engage in bullying others intend to cause harm or distress on the targeted person(s). Individuals who are targeted by bullying may experience harm and distress, including impact on physical, psychological, social or educational harm.To be considered bullying, the behavior must be aggressive and include:
- An imbalance of power: Individuals who bully use their power—such as physical strength, access to embarrassing information, age, position within the school or popularity—to control or harm others. Power imbalances can change over time and can vary depending on the situation, even if they involve the same people.
- Repetition: Bullying behaviors happen more than once or have the potential to happen more than
The difference between bullying and harassment:
Although bullying and harassment overlap at times, not all bullying is harassment and not all harassment is bullying. Harassment is also prohibited under this policy.- Harassment is unwelcome conduct based on a protected class (i.e. race, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, religion, sexual identification) that creates a hostile environment. It does not need to include intent to harm, be directed at a specific target or involve repeated
- Sexual harassment is unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature, which can include unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal, nonverbal or physical conduct of a sexual
The difference between bullying and peer conflict:
Bullying is not the same as peer conflict. Conflict resolution and peer mediation may be appropriate for responding to peer conflict, but not to bullying. This school/district bullying policy does not cover peer conflict.- Peer conflict is an incident in which individuals with no perceived power imbalance fight, argue or
B. Statement of Scope
This prohibition of bullying and harassment applies to behavior that occurs:- On school grounds: Immediately before or after school hours, during school hours or at any other time
- At a school-sponsored activity, function or event: On or off school grounds
- At school–related locations and events: This includes but is not limited to bus stops and property adjacent to school grounds
- On school-associated transportation and when traveling: To or from school or a school activity, function or event
- Through school-owned technology or equipment: During use on or off school grounds
- On or off school grounds: When the behavior has caused significant disruption to the learning environment or interfered with a student’s ability to learn
C. Prohibited Behavior
Any form of bullying and harassment, regardless of severity, is unacceptable and will be taken seriously by school personnel, students, and families. Types of bullying may overlap and bullying behaviors may fall into one or more categories. The following behaviors are strictly prohibited under this policy:- Physical bullying: Involves hurting a person’s body or possessions and may include hitting, kicking, pinching, tripping, pushing, spitting, taking or breaking someone’s things, or making mean or rude hand
- Verbal bullying: Involves saying or writing mean things that may cause emotional harm and may include teasing, name-calling, making inappropriate comments about someone, taunting, mocking someone, using put-downs or threatening to cause
- Relational (social) bullying: This is sometimes referred to as social bullying and involves hurting someone’s reputation or relationships and may include leaving someone out on purpose, telling other children not to be friends with someone, spreading rumors about someone, embarrassing someone on purpose, making others feel “invisible.”
- Cyberbullying: Involves aggressive behavior using electronic devices and may include circulating electronic images or videos, insulting text messages, bullying through online games, or bullying through social
- Harassment: Includes any of the above behaviors based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, religion or sexual
- Sexual Harassment: Includes unwelcome sexual advances or comments, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal, nonverbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
D. Examples of Protected Groups
Prohibition of behavior under this policy includes but is not limited to bullying behavior by any student, staff member or parent to any student, staff member, or parent. Bullying and harassment motivated by race, gender, social status, religious beliefs, mental/physical ability, sexual or gender identity and/or [other relevant characteristics] is strictly prohibited. All students, staff, and parents are protected under this policy, regardless of whether they are represented in the protected groups, as not all acts of bullying are based on specific characteristics.III. Reporting
The [school/district’s] expects that any individual who believes he/she has been the target of bullying or harassment submit a report of the bullying incident. This is also expected of any person in the school community who sees or receives notice that an individual has been or may be targeted by bullying or harassment. All staff members are expected to intervene when witnessing or receiving reports of bullying and harassment. Reports may be made using a bullying and harassment reporting form that can be found in the school’s main office, counselor’s office, from the school/district’s website, the parent/student handbook, [and other locations determined by school/district]. Students, parents, close adult relatives or staff members may submit a bullying and harassment reporting form. Students may ask for help from a staff member to complete the form if the student wishes. Forms may be filed anonymously, confidentially or the individual may choose to be identified.- Anonymous and confidential reporting: To submit a report without revealing identity, bullying and harassment reporting forms may be submitted in the complaint box located in the main office of the school [or the school/district should develop