Boston and Kesling Middle School

 Bullying means overt, repeated acts or gestures including verbal or written communications transmitted; physical acts committed; or any other behaviors committed by a student or group of students against another student with the intent to harass, ridicule, humiliate, intimidate or harm the other student. (Indiana Code: )

I. Hitting, punching, kicking, pushing II. Intimidating, threatening III. Spreading rumors IV. Teasing or name calling V. Sending insulting messages VI. Excluding others

 IC Intimidation Sec. 1. (a) A person who communicates a threat to another person, with the intent: (1) that the other person engage in conduct against the other person's will; (2) that the other person be placed in fear of retaliation for a prior lawful act;

EXAMPLES OF HARASSMENT* CATEGORIES OF DISCRIMINATION  Name calling  Teasing  Dirty notes or letters  Hitting/grabbing body parts  Rumor spreading  Threats and hostility  Intimidation  Offensive language  Discrimination * 1. Gender 2. Religion 3. Race 4. Color 5. Ethnicity 6. Age 7. Disability

a) Legal consequences: Indiana State Law prohibits bullying and harassment b) Consequences at school: LaPorte Community School Corporation, ie. suspended or expelled for the school year; removal from sports c) Consequences at home d) Lose friends, lose job possibilities, lose or not be able to receive driver’s license

 Always tell an adult. It is hard to talk about serious things with adults sometimes, but they can help put a stop to bullying. Tell an adult that you trust and can talk to - your parents, your teacher, your school counselor, your coach, your neighbor.  Stand up to the person doing the bullying. If you feel safe doing this, tell a person who is bullying that what he or she is doing is wrong and that he or she should stop. Keep it simple. You could just say, "Ben, cut it out. Nobody thinks that's funny."

 Stay in a group. Kids who bully like to pick on kids who are by themselves a lot– it is easier and they are more likely to get away with their bad behavior. If you spend more time with other kids, you may not be an easy "target" and you will have others around to help you if you get into a difficult situation!  Join clubs or take part in activities where you'll meet other kids. Sometimes, it can help to join clubs or take part in activities that interest you. Think about joining a sports team, join an after-school club, or participate in Campus Life, for example. You can meet other kids who share your interests and you might make some good friends!

 Cyber-harassment & Cyber-bullying: A person bullying another person on the Internet. Bullying involves repeated put-downs, insults, and threats.  Flaming: When someone insults someone else, usually by , instant message, or text message. To prevent flaming, do not respond, save the messages so you can show a trusted adult, and don’t worry if the message is from an unknown person; they can always be tracked down.

 Harassment; ‘obscene message’ defined in Indiana Code (a): Sec. 2. (a) A person who, with intent to harass, annoy, or alarm another person but with no intent of legitimate communication: * makes a telephone call, whether or not a conversation ensues; * uses a computer network or other form of electronic communication to: (A) communicate with a person; or (B) transmit an obscene message or indecent or profane words to a person; commits harassment (Class B misdemeanor)

1. If you would not say it to the person’s face, do not say it online. 2. Be careful with sarcasm—it can be misread. 3. Be extra careful about what you say online because you audience cannot hear tone or see facial expressions.

 Ignore the message: ignoring the text will help avoid making the situation worse (flamed); take them off your contact list or block them if you can  Save the message: any message can be traced; save the message in case you need to provide them all to the authority  Share the message: share the message with a trusted adult; especially if ignoring the issue does not discontinue messages

 May lead to legal consequences-placing comments online leaves a trail of evidence; everything online is archived and saved  May lead to removal from school or consequences from parents  May place you in harms way; predators search the Internet to target children  May prevent you from playing sports, receiving a scholarship, receiving a job, or getting accepted into college

9/ / /2010 Everyone has the right to be respected and the responsibility to respect others.