BULLYING RESOURCES

The following information is taken from the Iowa Department of Education Bullying/Harassment Page which can be read in it’s entirety here.

State of Iowa Definition of Bullying:

Harassment and bullying are defined in Iowa Code 280.28 as: Any electronic, written, verbal, or physical act or conduct toward a student which is based on any actual or perceived trait or characteristic of the student and which creates an objectively hostile school environment that meets one or more of the following conditions:

  • Places the student in reasonable fear of harm to the student's person or property

  • Has a substantially detrimental effect on the student's physical or mental health

  • Has the effect of substantially interfering with a student's academic performance

  • Has the effect of substantially interfering with the student's ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by a school

There are 17 protected traits or characteristics in the law. "Trait or characteristic of the student" includes but is not limited to age, color, creed, national origin, race, religion, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical attributes, physical or mental ability or disability, ancestry, political party preference, political belief, socioeconomic status, or familial status.

Reporting Bullying to Schools - Assistance for Parents/Families

When bullying occurs, contact the school immediately and join with the district in gathering information and conducting an inquiry and/or investigation to ensure any bullying is stopped. Here are some resources that parents may find helpful in this effort.

  1. Guidelines for Parents in Reporting Bullying

  2. Worksheet for Parents in Reporting Bullying

  3. Parent Checklist in Reporting Bullying

  4. Types of Bullying

  5. Support for Bullying Issues: Websites for Parents

Understanding Bullying

What is Bullying?

Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time.

In order to be considered bullying, the behavior must be aggressive and include:

  • An Imbalance of Power: Kids who bully use their power—such as physical strength, access to embarrassing information, or popularity—to control or harm others. Power imbalances can change over time and in different situations, even if they involve the same people.

  • Repetition: Bullying behaviors happen more than once or have the potential to happen more than once.

Types of Bullying

Verbal - speaking or writing mean things

  • Teasing

  • Name-calling

  • Inappropriate sexual comments

  • Taunting

  • Threatening to cause harm

Social bullying (Relational bullying) - hurting someone’s reputation or relationships

  • Leaving someone out on purpose

  • Telling other children not to be friends with someone

  • Spreading rumors about someone

  • Embarrassing someone in public

Physical bullying - hurting a person’s body or possessions

  • Hitting/kicking/pinching

  • Spitting

  • Tripping/pushing

  • Taking or breaking someone’s things

  • Making mean or rude hand gestures

Types of bullying information from stopbullying.gov.

How Parents and Families can help

Standing up to peers is a hard thing to do for people of all ages. But you can make it easier for kids by giving them the confidence and the support they need to do so. The following list from National Crime Prevention Council website are some ways parents and families can help children develop these traits:

  • Teach children to be assertive. Emphasize peaceful ways to solve problems and encourage kids to stand up for themselves verbally, not violently.

  • Show kids safe ways to help others. Make it clear that you expect kids to take action if they see someone being hurt, or if they are hurt themselves.

  • Hold kids accountable. If children stand by and watch someone being bullied, make it clear that their behavior hurts the victim too.

  • Get to know their friends. Encourage your children to invite their friends to your home or accompany you on family outings.

  • Be a good example. If you see someone being bullied or hurt, help them.

  • Build empathy in your kids. If you see examples of people being bullied or hurt in movies, television, or books, talk with your children about how these people must feel. Ask your children how they would feel in that situation and what they would do to make it better. Point out ways characters helped out, or didn’t, and have your children think up different ways to help.

  • Help them develop social skills. From a young age, encourage your children to play with others and to be friends with many different people. Have them spend time with people of different ages, backgrounds, races, ethnicities, religions, and mental and physical abilities.