- Greenville Independent School District
- Bullying Prevention and Investigation
-
Bullying Prevention and Investigation
Click here to visit the Anonymous Tip Line
What is bullying?How is bullying defined:
Bullying is a single significant act or a pattern of acts by one or more students directed at another student that exploits an imbalance of power and involves engaging in written or verbal expression, expression through electronic means, or physical conduct that satisfies the applicability requirements below and that:
- Has the effect or will have the effect of physically harming a student, damaging a student’s property, or placing a student in reasonable fear of harm to the student’s person or of damage to the student’s property;
- Is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive enough that the action or threat creates an intimidating, threatening, or abusive educational environment for a student;
- Materially and substantially disrupts the educational process or the orderly operation of a classroom or school; or
- Infringes on the rights of the victim at school; and
How is cyberbullying defined:
“Cyberbullying” means bullying that is done through the use of any electronic communication device, including through the use of a cellular or other type of telephone, a computer, a camera, electronic mail, instant messaging, text messaging, a social media application, an internet website, or any other internet-based communication tool.
What does our board policy say about bullying?FFH: Freedom from Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation
-
What is Greenville ISD doing to address and prevent bullying?
In Greenville ISD, we are committed to taking care of the whole child. That includes nurturing their social and emotional health and building relationships with families.
On our campuses and in our classrooms, we establish and enforce clear behavioral expectations and boundaries for our students. By establishing a culture of mutual respect enforced by social contracts, we aim to prevent bullying by defusing such destructive behavior. When misconduct occurs, there are serious consequences that vary according to the nature of the offense. Those consequences are spelled out in detail in the Student Code of Conduct.
The Code provides methods and options for managing students in the classroom and on school grounds, disciplining students, and preventing and intervening in student discipline problems. The law requires the district to define misconduct that may—or must—result in a range of specific disciplinary consequences including removal from a regular classroom or campus, outof-school suspension, placement in a disciplinary alternative education program (DAEP), placement in a juvenile justice alternative education program (JJAEP), or expulsion from school.
We strongly believe in the principles taught in Capturing Kids Hearts, which is committed to infusing civility, citizenship and character education into all educators’ interactions with students and their interactions with one another. All of our employees have been trained in Capturing Kids Hearts.
One of the most powerful cornerstones is the social contract that students write and sign as a pledge to uphold the principles that matter to them. In short, the social contract is an agreement about how to treat one another. Below is a picture of the social contract from a second-grade class:
In addition to the social contract, Capturing Kids Hearts teaches employees to understand the root causes of behavior and meet children where they are.
Teachers explore and practice important social cues. The little things are really the big things - like greeting a student with a handshake at the beginning of class, starting the day with an invitation to share good things that have happened in their lives, and agreeing on a social contract of mutual respect.
When the atmosphere of trust has been established, students are empowered because they experience encouragement and support.
Once this healthy groundwork is complete, behavioral issues, including bullying, social issues and academic struggles can be effectively addressed.
Above and beyond required training
The State of Texas has a number of requirements regarding policies and training related to bullying.
While GISD employees go through annual training through Safe Schools courses, the district goes above and beyond the minimum requirements because we are committed to doing the right things for our students.
Here is a LINK to additional resources for educators and parents.
-
Greenville ISD Bullying Investigation Process
Step 1: Reporting Bullying
- If a student believes that he or she has experienced bullying or witnesses the bullying of another student, the student or parent should notify a teacher, school counselor, principal, or another district employee as soon as possible. A student may anonymously report an alleged incident of bullying by filling out an anonymous incident report form and placing it in a locked box outside the counselor’s office. They may also anonymously report it online here.
Step 2: Investigation by School Staff
- The administration will investigate any allegations of bullying and related misconduct. The district will also provide notice to the parent of the alleged victim and the parent of the student alleged to have engaged in bullying.
Step 3: Bullying Determination & Notification of Findings
- If an investigation determines that bullying occurred, the administration will take appropriate disciplinary action and may, in certain circumstances, notify law enforcement. Disciplinary or other action may be taken even if the conduct did not rise to the level of bullying.
Step 4: Consequences for Bullying:
- Consequences will be assigned as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct. Targets of bullying will not be punished.
- Rights to appeal are explained to all parties.
- Retaliation against students who report bullying will not be tolerated.
How do we investigate bullying in Greenville ISD?
