Bullying Prevention

St. HOPE Public Schools (SHPS) believes that all students and employees have a right to a safe and healthy school environment. SHPS schools and the community have an obligation to promote mutual respect, tolerance, and acceptance. SHPS recognizes the harmful effects of bullying on student well-being, student learning and school attendance and desires to provide a safe school environment that protects students from physical and emotional harm.

What is bullying?

Bullying:

1. Is an unwanted, aggressive act/behavior
2. Involves an imbalance of power 
3. Is intended to cause emotional or physical harm
4. Can be physical, verbal, or social/relational 
5. Involves repetition 

Please see the SHPS Discrimination, Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying Policy for more information on the definition of bullying.

Bullying can take many forms, including, but limited to: 

1. Physical bullying that inflicts harm upon a person’s body or possessions
2. Verbal bullying that includes saying or writing hurtful things 
3. Social/relational bullying that harms a person’s reputation or relationships
4. Cyberbullying, such as sending demeaning or hateful text messages or emails, sending rumors by email or by posting on social networking sites, or posting embarrassing photos, videos, web site, or fake profiles

Cyberbullying and Social Media

The most common places where cyberbullying occurs are (from stopbullying.gov):

• Social Media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Tik Tok
• Text messaging and messaging apps on mobile or tablet devices
• Instant messaging, direct messaging, and online chatting over the internet
• Online forums, chat rooms, and message boards, such as Reddit
• Email
• Online gaming communities

What can parents/guardians/caregivers do to protect their students online?  To minimize the risk of cyberbullying or harm from digital behavior, parents can (from stopbullying.gov):

• Set clear expectations about digital behavior and online reputation.
• Educate about the harmful effects of cyberbullying, posting hateful speech or comments, sexting, and sharing naked photos of themselves or others (including potential legal issues).
• Be clear about what content can be viewed or shared.
• Identify which apps are appropriate for your child’s use and which are not.
• Establish rules about the amount of time that a child can spend online or on their devices.
• Model positive, respectful digital behavior on your own devices and accounts.

For more information on bullying and prevention, please see the California Department of Education’s Bullying Prevention Training and Resources.