Bullying
What is BCISD doing to address and prevent bullying?
BCISD ISD is 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, 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, out-of-school suspension, placement in a disciplinary alternative education program (DAEP), placement in a juvenile justice alternative education program (JJAEP), or expulsion from school.
The State of Texas has a number of requirements regarding policies and training related to bullying.
What is bullying? Texas Education Code 37.0832
It is important to distinguish bullying from other unkind, mean and harmful behavior. Of course, these behaviors should be addressed but may have different consequences and interventions, which is why the distinction is critical.
| Behavior | Definition | Characteristics | Intent | Frequency | Parental Guidance | School’s Responsibility |
| Rude | Inadvertent actions that hurt or offend someone. | Interrupting, being inconsiderate, or saying something thoughtless. | Unintentional; often due to lack of social awareness. | Occasional or spontaneous. | Teach social skills, manners, and empathy. Model kindness and explain how words/actions affect others. | Teach and reinforce respectful communication. Address through social-emotional learning (SEL) programs. |
| Mean | Purposeful actions or words intended to hurt someone. | Insults, excluding someone, or teasing with intent to harm. | Intentional; meant to upset but not necessarily ongoing. | Infrequent; may be a reaction to emotions like anger or jealousy. | Address emotional regulation, conflict resolution, and encourage apologies and making amends. | Encourage positive peer interactions, teach conflict resolution strategies, and intervene and assign discipline when needed. |
| Bullying | Deliberate, repeated harm with a power imbalance. | Physical aggression, social exclusion, rumors, cyberbullying. | Intentional; designed to control, intimidate, or harm. | Repeated over time; forms a pattern or a single significant act. | Take bullying seriously—document incidents, involve school officials if necessary, and teach children how to seek help. Encourage assertiveness and emotional resilience. | Implement and enforce anti-bullying policies. Investigate reports, provide support for victims, and discipline offenders. Promote a safe and inclusive school environment. |
Bullying, which includes cyberbullying, is defined by law as 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:
- 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 damage to the student's property;
- is so severe, persistent, or pervasive that the action or threat creates an intimidating, threatening or abusive educational environment for a student;
- materially or substantially disrupts the educational process or the orderly operation of a classroom or school; or
- infringes on the rights of the victim at school
BCISD ISD Board Policies Related to Bullying
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- Stop and think before you say or do something that could hurt someone.
- If you feel like being mean to someone, find something else to do. Play a game, watch TV, or talk to a friend.
- Talk to an adult you trust. They can help you find ways to be nicer to others.
- Keep in mind that everyone is different (not better or worse, just different).
- If you think you have bullied someone in the past, apologize.
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- Look at the kid bullying you and tell him or her to stop in a calm, clear voice. You can also try to laugh it off. This works best if joking is easy for you. It could catch the kid bullying you off guard.
- If speaking up seems too hard or not safe, walk away and stay away. Don’t fight back. Find an adult to stop the bullying on the spot. You can also make a report online via the district’s Anonymous Reporting site. The serice gives you the option to remain anonymous.
There are things you can do to stay safe in the future, too.
- Talk to an adult you trust. Don’t keep your feelings inside. Telling someone can help you feel less alone. They can help you make a plan to stop the bullying.
- Stay away from places where bullying happens.
- Stay near adults and other kids. Most bullying happens when adults aren’t around.
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Bullying does not always happen in person. Cyberbullying is a type of bullying that happens online or through text messages or emails. There are things you can do to protect yourself.
- Always think about what you post. You never know what someone will forward. Being kind to others online will help to keep you safe. Do not share anything that could hurt or embarrass anyone.
- Keep your password a secret from other kids. Even kids that seem like friends could give your password away or use it in ways you don’t want. Let your parents have your passwords.
- Think about who sees what you post online. Complete strangers? Friends? Friends of friends? Privacy settings let you control who sees what.
- Keep your parents in the loop. Tell them what you’re doing online and who you’re doing it with. Let them friend or follow you. Listen to what they have to say about what is and isn’t okay to do. They care about you and want you to be safe.
- Talk to an adult you trust about any messages you get or things you see online that make you sad or scared. If it is cyberbullying, report it.
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When you see bullying, there are safe things you can do to make it stop.
- Talk to a parent, teacher, or another adult you trust. Adults need to know when bad things happen so they can help. Report it.
- Be kind to the kid being bullied. Show them that you care by trying to include them. Sit with them at lunch or on the bus, talk to them at school, or invite them to do something. Just hanging out with them will help them know they aren’t alone.
- Not saying anything could make it worse for everyone. The kid who is bullying will think it is ok to keep treating others that way.
Bullying Investigation Process
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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 online. Click here to fill out a report.
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The administration will investigate any allegations of bullying and related misconduct. The target, perpetrator and witness (if applicable) are interviewed. 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. The Texas School Safety Center's Bullying Checklist for Schools is a part of all bullying investigations.
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The district will provide notification of findings to the students involved, as well as their parents.
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.
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Consequences will be assigned as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct. Rights to appeal are explained to all parties. Retaliation against students who report bullying will not be tolerated.
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