Behavior Management: BOO to Bullying

Bullying Definitions*

Bullying is defined as the repeated use by one or more students of a written, verbal, or electronic expression or a physical act or gesture or any combination thereof, directed at a victim that:

• Causes physical or emotional harm to the victim or damage to the victim’s property
•  Places the victim in reasonable fear of harm to himself/herself or damage to his/her property
• Creates a hostile environment at a VCO program for the victim
• Infringes on the rights of the victim at a VCO program
• Substantially disrupts the orderly operation at a VCO program

Aggressor- Aggressor is a student who engages in bullying or retaliation

Victim -Victim is a student against whom bullying or retaliation has been perpetrated.

Retaliation - Retaliation is any form of intimidation or harassment directed against a student who reports bullying, provides information during an investigation of bullying, or witnesses or has reliable information about bullying.

Major Bullying Offenses

Examples of major instances of bullying could include:

• Aggressive and unnecessary physical contact, including any blood drawn or punches thrown.
• Aggressive and unnecessary verbal threats or comments, includes profanity, racial or gender slurs, and physical threats directed toward another student. 

Specific Follow-Up Steps for Bullying & Physical Fighting

Specific follow-up steps for bullying and physical fighting
Ultimately, it will be up to the discretion of the volunteer and staff to determine the severity of bullying. If a volunteer or staff is unsure, they should consult other staff and volunteers present. 

• In the incident of bullying, the aggressor and victim should be separated and pulled to the side.  
• In the incident of bullying, volunteer and staff should speak to both the aggressor and victim, as well as any other witnesses, to get the full story.
• When participant(s) returns to the program, a zero-tolerance policy will be enacted. If another major bullying instance occurs, the aggressor will be asked to leave the program permanently for that year. Re-entry into other VCO programs will be decided upon on in a case-by-case basis
• Volunteers and staff should check-in with victim to ensure they feel safe in VCO programs. 

Please note

• Volunteer and staff can decide if they want to refer the aggressor and/or victim to further mediation or counseling based on the incident.  
• In the incident that it is ambiguous which child is the aggressor and which is the victim, both aggressor and victim may be sent home. 

[*] Cambridge Public Schools Anti-Bullying Policy document