Bullying Prevention
Families and youth who are affected by bullying can address it in a variety of ways. We invite you to visit here to learn more, or read about the topic below.
Unwanted aggressive behavior(s) involving an observed or perceived power imbalance;
Done by another youth or group of youths, who are not siblings or current dating partners;
Repeated multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated;
Inflicts harm or distress on the targeted youth including physical, psychological, social, or educational harm (CDC).
Verbal Bullying: saying or writing things that could be mean or hurtful. Things like: name-calling, threats, taunting, teasing, and inappropriate sexual comments.
Social Bullying: Involves hurting someone's reputation or relationships. Making someone feel like they don’t belong to a group. Some examples: leaving someone out on purpose, spreading rumors, embarrassing someone in public, or preventing someone from being friends with someone else.
Physical Bullying: Involves hurting a person’s body or things that belong to them. Physical bullying includes: hitting, kicking, punching, spitting, pinching, pushing, damaging someone’s belongings, or making rude gestures.
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, Text, and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior.
The most common places where cyberbullying occurs are:
Social Media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Tik Tok
Text messaging and messaging apps on mobile or tablet devices
Instant messaging, direct messaging, and online chatting over the internet
Online forums, chat rooms, and message boards, such as:
Online gaming communities
Laws and Policies: Public and charter school districts in Arizona are required to adhere to the following laws specific to bullying:
Public and charter school districts in Arizona are required to adhere to the following laws specific to bullying:
Arizona Revised Statutes §15-341. General powers and duties; immunity; delegation
Arizona Revised Statutes §15-2301. Hazing prevention policies; definitions.
What are the policy requirements for schools in Arizona to prevent and respond to bullying behavior?
Arizona school districts are required to prescribe and enforce policies and procedures to prohibit pupils from harassing, intimidating, or bullying other pupils. District policies must contain key policy and procedural elements, including, but not limited to:
- Definitions of the terms harassment, intimidation, and bullying;
- Procedures for reporting and investigation;
- Procedures for notifying the alleged victim and alleged victim’s parent or guardian when a school official or employee becomes aware of a suspected incident of harassment, intimidation, or bullying;
- Requirements to provide written copies of the rights, protections, and support services available to alleged victims and procedures to protect the health and safety of pupils who are physically harmed as the result of incidents of harassment, intimidation, and bullying; and,
- Statements of disciplinary consequences for violations of the policy.
Please visit your school or district's website or talk to your school or charter district administration to determine what steps to take to address your bullying concerns.
The following websites have comprehensive information on bullying available:
Arizona Department of Health Services ADHS: MustStopBullying.org
For more information regarding Federal Laws and policies, please visit here: https://www.stopbullying.gov/resources/laws
Arizona Department of Education's Effective Teachers and Leaders Program. This program area offers a variety of trainings on critical topics for school leaders, including how to combat bullying in their schools. School leaders interested in attending a training should contact Effective Teachers and Leaders at [email protected].
