Bullying

“Bullying” means any severe or pervasive physical or verbal or conduct, including communications made in writing or by means of an electronic act, and including one or more acts committed by a student or group of students as defined in Section 48900.2, 48900.3, or 48900.4, directed toward one or more students that has or can be reasonably predicted to have the effect of one or more of the following:

A)  Placing a reasonable student or students in fear of harm to that student’s or those students’ person or property.

B) Causing a reasonable student to experience a substantially detrimental effect on his or her physical or mental health.

C) Causing a reasonable student to experience a substantial interference with his or her academic performance, ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by a school.

“Electronic Act” means the transmission by means of an electronic device, including, but not limited to, a telephone, wireless telephone or other wireless communication device, computer, or pager, of a communication, including, but not limited to, any of the following:

(I) Posting to or creating a burn page. “Burn page” means an Internet Web site created for the purpose of having one or more effects listed in paragraph (1).

(II) Creating a credible impersonation of another actual pupil for the purpose of having one or more of the effects listed in paragraph (1). “Credible impersonation” means to knowingly and without consent impersonate a pupil for the purpose of bullying the pupil and such that another pupil would reasonably believe, or has reasonably believed that the pupil was or is the pupil who was impersonated.

(III) Creating a false profile for the purpose of having one or more of the effects listed in paragraph (1). “False profile” means a profile of a fictitious pupil or a profile using the likeness or attributes of an actual pupil other than the pupil who created the false profile.

(B) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) and subparagraph (A), an electronic act shall not constitute pervasive conduct solely on the basis that it has been transmitted on the Internet or is currently posted on the Internet.

(3) “Reasonable student” means a student, including, but not limited to, an exceptional needs student, who exercises average care, skill, and judgment in conduct for a person of his or her age with his or her exceptional needs.

Resources

Jane Addams Middle School and Will Rogers Middle School have worked hard on their anti-bullying programs. Below are some of the resources being implemented at the sites.

• Connect Safely webpage provides tips to help students stop cyberbullying.
• Let's Get Real video gives students the chance to tell their own stories.
• Mix it Up Schools Program encourages students "mix it up" at lunch by sitting with a different group of students.
• Net Smartz Cyberbullying page has information for parents to support their child.
• The Teaching Channel has a short video on the complex issues related to cyberbullying.