Harassment, Intimidation, & Bullying
Establishing, implementing, documenting, and evaluating a bullying prevention program or approaches, and other activities involving school personnel, students, administrators, volunteers, parents, law enforcement, and the community, is the responsibility of Washington Township Public Schools. These policies and programs will be supported throughout our district in an effort to eliminate harassment, intimidation, and bullying.
If a parent, student, or member of staff suspects bullying has taken place, they should notify the school's principal, supervisor, and/or District/School Anti-Bullying Specialist immediately.
Any gesture, written, verbal, physical or electronic communication, act, or incident perceived as HIB on or off school grounds that disrupts the operation of the school or the rights of others will warrant action. Consequences will include appropriate remedial steps for pupils who commit an act of harassment, intimidation, or bullying beginning with behavior intervention sessions up to and including suspension or expulsion as permitted under N.J.S.A. 18A:37-15b(1).
New Jersey’s Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights defines HIB as follows:
Harassment, intimidation or bullying means any gesture, any written, verbal or physical act, or any electronic communication, whether it be a single incident or a series of incidents, that is reasonably perceived as being motivated either by any actual or perceived characteristic, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression, or a mental, physical or sensory disability, or by any other distinguishing characteristic, that takes place on school property, at any school-sponsored function, on a school bus, or off school grounds as provided for in section 16 of P.L.2010, c.122 (C.18A:37-15.3), that substantially disrupts or interferes with the orderly operation of the school or the rights of other students and that:
- A reasonable person should know, under the circumstances, what will have the effect of physically or emotionally harming a student or damaging the student's property, or placing a student in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm to his person or damage to his property;
- has the effect of insulting or demeaning any student or group of students; or
- creates a hostile educational environment for the student by interfering with a student’s education or by severely or pervasively causing physical or emotional harm to the student.
Parent Resources
-
Guidance for Parents on the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act
-
SAMHSA: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration