Bullying

Bullying is a form of harassment and abuse that occurs both during school and during events outside of school.  Bullying creates a climate of fear and anxiety that adversely affects the social and learning environment and disrupts a student’s ability to learn and perform well in school.  Further, bullying is associated with poor student outcomes for both the perpetrators and victims of bullying including academic failure, poor self-esteem and lack of self-efficacy in adulthood, depression, substance abuse, and even criminal behavior. 

The provision of a safe and constructive learning environment for students is therefore a priority at Sycamore.  Bullying is antithetical to the guiding principles of community, tolerance, respect, equality, and collaboration endorsed at Sycamore, where students are encouraged to conduct themselves with kindness and courage in all things. 

Anti-Bullying Policy.  Students acquire several important life skills through their school relationships and peer interactions that will guide them in their future endeavors as they go on to become prominent leaders and innovators in society.  Maintaining an atmosphere that fosters the social and emotional health of children and students is fundamental in cultivating a society of healthy, well-adjusted citizens.  The school’s anti-bullying policy is an important component in the cultivation of understanding, tolerance, appreciation, and respect for human diversity, individuality, and self-expression.

DISTRICT POLICY PROHIBITS BULLYING AND RETALIATION AGAINST COMPLAINTS OF BULLYING.

Teachers, students, and administrators are required to uphold the school’s anti-bullying policy at all times.  School personnel are required to intervene if they are present to witness acts of bullying and must adhere to uniform procedure in addressing complaints of bullying.  Students who violate school policy against bullying may be subject to discipline, including temporary suspension from school and expulsion. 

Students who possess knowledge of discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying are encouraged to inform a school administrator or counselor as soon as possible.   Students and parents may anonymously report incidents of bullying by calling the school and asking to speak with an administrator or school counselor.

Some level of disclosure may be necessary and unavoidable to ensure a complete and fair investigation, although the District will comply with requests for confidentiality to the extent possible in order to preserve the safety and wellbeing of the complainant.

More information about the school’s anti-bullying policy can be accessed through the Anaheim Union High School District main website. 

What is bullying?  Bullying is an expression of power and social influence. Bullying may be used as a strategy to protect and defend social status or as a strategy gain power, to redirect bullying away from one victim towards another, or to counter bullying directed towards the perpetrator.  Regardless, certain defining factors exist that are common to all forms of bullying:

1. The intent to cause harm to another
2. The ongoing, repeated occurrence of aggression and harassment between perpetrator and victim as opposed to a single incident or episode of maltreatment
3. The imbalance of power and influence that functions to preserve or advance the social standing of one individual via exploitation of another’s social vulnerability

Examples of Bullying.  Listed below are some examples of bullying.  Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of the different forms of bullying behavior:

• physical aggression intended to harm another, such as hitting or shoving
• verbal or written threats to cause harm or injury to another
• oral or written verbal assaults, such as teasing and slander
• social isolation, deliberate exclusion of others, and manipulation
• harmful web-related content, texting, and internet activities including, but not limited to, harassment, direct threats, and social cruelty on social networking sites
• posting and dissemination of false or defamatory information about another person

Causes.  There is no single cause for bullying among children. Rather a combination of individual, family, peer, school, and community factors place children and youth at risk for bullying others.

What to do if you or if your student is being bullied.  As stated in the previous section about the school’s anti-bullying policy, students and parents may do a number of things to prevent and put an end to bullying and victimization of a student by another student or peer group:

1. Students and parents may both make ANONYMOUS REPORTS OF BULLYING by calling the school and reporting incidents to the Counseling and/or Administration Departments.
2. Students may go directly to a counselor, administrator, or teacher to report an incident of bullying.
3. Students may elect to speak privately with a counselor or with the social work intern available at the school about an incident or incident(s) of bullying.

Students at Sycamore are encouraged NOT to be bystanders and idle witnesses to incidents of bullying.  All students should report any incidents of bullying that they witness, especially if they do not feel safe intervening during the event.  The power of the bystander is extremely important in the prevention of bullying by intervening and openly disapproving of acts of bullying, seeking the help of an adult, and providing support to the victim either during or after an event whether openly or in private.  Doing so can be an empowering experience for students.