District administrators, teachers, school counselors and staff have been trained to process bullying reports and conduct thorough investigations as quickly as possible. Our bullying board policy explains this process in detail, and we encourage community members to report bullying they believe to have occurred.

To assist in this process, reporters can complete the incident reporting form. Reporters can also contact the school administrator directly, who will complete the form and attach any additional documentation.

Bullying is intimidation, unwanted aggressive behavior, or harassment that is repetitive. Bullying includes physical actions, including violence, gestures, theft, or property damage; oral, written or electronic communication, including name-calling, put-downs, and extortion; or threats of reprisal or retaliation for reporting such acts.

Sometimes what is reported as bullying is actually age-appropriate conflict between students of equal power. If you are not sure whether the situation is bullying, consider whether the answer to any of these questions is yes.

• Is there an imbalance of power between the students involved?
• Is the behavior repetitive?
• Does the student fear for his/her physical safety or property?
• Does the student feel threatened?
• Is the behavior interfering with the student’s educational performance or opportunities?

Preventing bullying is the responsibility of schools, families and the community. Below are helpful resources for families to understand and talk to their students about bullying.

• StopBullying.gov