Bullying

District 41 strives to be bully-free so that all students can learn in a setting that allows them to feel accepted, respected and safe. We are all responsible for working together to acknowledge that our actions have an effect on our community.  

Bullying is the repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. Bullying can be physical, verbal or psychological. It can happen face-to-face or online. 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. Isolated incidents of mean spirited behavior, including arguments, name calling, or other unkind acts, do not necessarily meet the definition of bullying. 

Bullying is defined under Board Policy 7.180 as such: 

Bullying, harassment, and intimidation diminish a student’s ability to learn and the school’s ability to educate. Bullying on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender-related identity or expression, ancestry, age, religion, physical or mental disability, an order of protection status, homelessness status, or any other distinguishing characteristics is prohibited in each of the following situations:

• During any school-sponsored educational program or activity

• While in school, on school property, on school buses or other school vehicles, at designated school bus stops, or at school-sponsored events or activities

• Through the communication of information from a school computer, a school network, or other electronic school equipment

• Through the communication from a computer that is accessed at a non-school related location, activity, or function. Communication through an electronic device that is not owned, leased, or used by the school district or school if the bullying causes a substantial disruption to the educational process or orderly operation of a school

Additional types of bullying:

Bullying Based on Bias Behavior
An offense, verbal, written or symbolic in nature, committed against a person or property which is motivated by the offender's bias, a negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons based on their race, gender, gender orientation, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity/national origin. This is also defined as harassment because the behavior is based on the victim’s protected class.

Bullying Based on Sexual Harassment
Unwelcome sexual advances, request for sexual favors, and/or other inappropriate verbal, written, or physical conduct of a sexual nature, directed toward others.

Cyber-bullying
Cyber-bullying means bullying through the use of technology or any electronic communication, including without limitation any transfer of signs, signals, writing images, sounds, data or intelligence of any nature transmitted in whole or in part by wire, radio, electromagnetic system, photo-electronic system, or photo-optical system, including without limitation electronic mail, internet communications, instant, messages, or facsimile communications. Cyber-bullying includes the creation of a webpage or weblog in which the creator assumes the identity of another person or the knowing impersonation of another person as the author of posted content or messages if the creation or impersonation creates any of the effects enumerated in the definition of bullying. Cyber-bullying also includes the distribution by electronic means of a communication to more than one person of the posting of material on an electronic medium that may be accessed by one or more persons if the distribution or posting creates any of the effects enumerated in the definition of bullying.