Anti-bullying

Antibullying

At Memorial Elementary School, we foster a safe and positive learning environment for all students. All students should feel safe and comfortable coming to school. As such, the district has implemented procedures supporting the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights. The school district continues to make progress in addressing and improving harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB) and the school climate and culture by implementing various anti-bullying programs and staff training.

Definition of Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying:

Under New Jersey law, “harassment, intimidation, or bullying” means any gesture, any written, verbal or physical act or any electronic communication, whether it is a single incident or a series of incidents, that is:

Reasonably perceived as being motivated by either 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; and that
Takes place on school property, at any school-sponsored function, on a school bus, or off school grounds, as provided for in N.J.S.A. 18A:37-15.3, that substantially disrupts or interferes with the orderly operation of the school or the rights of other pupils; and that
A reasonable person should know under the circumstances will have the effect of physically or emotionally harming a pupil or damaging the pupil’s property, or placing a pupil in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm to his/her person or damage to his/her property; or
Has the effect of insulting or demeaning any pupil or group of pupils; or
Creates a hostile educational environment for the pupil by interfering with a pupil’s education or by severely or pervasively causing physical or emotional harm to the pupil.

Types of Bullying:

Verbal Bullying: name-calling, mocking, insults, teasing, intimidation, homophobic or racist remarks.
Social Bullying: excluding others from a group, embarrassing someone in public, or spreading gossip or rumors about them.
Physical Bullying: hitting, shoving, damaging or stealing property
Cyber-Bullying: spreading rumors and hurtful comments through the use of e-mail, cell phones (e.g., text messaging) and on social media sites.

Resources for Parents and Students