Bullying and Harassment – Title IX

Definitions of Bullying

• Cyberbullying” is when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones. It has to have a minor on both sides, or at least have been instigated by a minor against another minor. Once adults become involved, it is plain and simple cyber-harassment or cyberstalking. Adult cyber-harassment or cyberstalking is NEVER called cyberbullying.
• Bullying refers to actions repeated over time which harm, harass, intimidate, or humiliate another person. Typically, there is an imbalance of power (e.g., a difference in physical strength, or popularity) which makes it difficult for the bullied child to defend himself or herself.
• Bullying may be physical, verbal, relational (e.g., exclusion or isolation), in-person or electronic (“cyberbullying”), direct (e.g., hitting, texting a negative message to a child, insulting a child) or indirect (encouraging another person to hurt a child, spreading rumors). It can take place at school or off school grounds.
• Bullying differs from rough and tumble play or friendly teasing because in these types of interactions the ‘targeted’ child varies (one child does not consistently dominate the other), and children display remorse when a playmate is inadvertently upset and hurt.
• The phrase “harassment, intimidation and bullying” (“HIB”) is often used in place of the term “bullying”; it is equivalent.
• “Bias-based bullying” is commonly used to describe bullying in which legally protected characteristics (such as sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, race, ethnicity, and religion) are targeted