All students should feel physically and emotionally safe at school. Bullying behavior is completely unacceptable. Bullying prevention starts with the knowledge of what it means to engage in or become a victim of bullying.
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California Education Code 48900 (r) defines bullying as “any severe or pervasive physical or verbal act or conduct, including communications made in writing or by means of an electronic act, and including one or more acts committed by a pupil or group of pupils as defined in Section 48900.2, 48900.3, or 48900.4, directed toward one or more pupils that has or can be reasonably predicted to have the effect of one or more of the following: (A) Placing a reasonable pupil or pupils in fear of harm to that pupil’s or those pupils’ person or property. (B) Causing a reasonable pupil to experience a substantially detrimental effect on his or her physical or mental health. (C) Causing a reasonable pupil to experience substantial interference with his or her academic performance. (D) Causing a reasonable pupil to experience substantial interference with his or her ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by a school.” |
In general terms, there are three key components that set bullying apart from other acts of inappropriate student behavior.
1. Purposefully aggressive behavior
2. A pattern of behavior that is repeated over time
3. Repeated behavior that creates an imbalance of power and control between the parties involved
The Cypress School District partners with the Orange County Department of Education and Western Youth Services to educate students, parents, and staff on ways to identify, intervene, and prevent bullying through positive character development.
The district also provides students and parents with a system for anonymously reporting bullying through its district and school websites. School staff who witness an act of bullying are required to immediately intervene and report the incident to the site administrator. All reported acts of bullying must be investigated by the site administrator.