Pioneer High

WJUSD School Climate and Bullying Prevention & Intervention Resources

Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among students that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems. In order to be considered bullying, the behavior must be aggressive and include:

• An Imbalance of Power: Kids who bully use their power—such as physical strength, access to embarrassing information, or popularity—to control or harm others. Power imbalances can change over time and in different situations, even if they involve the same people.

• Repetition: Bullying behaviors happen more than once or have the potential to happen more than once.

Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors,  and or attacking someone physically or verbally.  Such actions could be considered a violation of not only school policy but also civil and criminal code.

Types of Bullying 

• Verbal bullying is saying or writing insulting comments. Verbal bullying includes:

  • Verbal Insults

  • Name-calling

  • Inappropriate sexual comments

  • Taunting

    Threatening to cause harm

     

• Social bullying, sometimes referred to as relational bullying, involves hurting someone’s reputation or relationships. Social bullying includes:

  • Spreading rumors about someone in person

  • Embarrassing someone in public in person
    
    

• Physical bullying involves hurting a person’s body or possessions. Physical bullying includes:

  • Unwanted physical contact including hitting/kicking

  • Unwanted physical contact of a possible sexual nature including hugging, kissing or touching from the opposite or same sex.

  • Tripping/pushing

  • Intentionally stealing or breaking another person's possessions

  • Making insulting or offensive hand gestures

     
     

• Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place using electronic technology. Electronic technology includes devices and equipment such as cell phones, computers, and tablets as well as communication tools including social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites. Cyberbullying includes:

  • Insulting text messages or emails,

  • Rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites,

  • Intentionally sharing embarrassing pictures, videos,

  • Taking and sharing photos of other people without their permission and/or knowledge

  • Creating fake personal websites or fake profiles.