Little Flock
Little Flock
Christian School
Anti-Bullying Policy
All members of the LFCS community—including employees, volunteers, parents, and students—are called to obey Jesus’ command, “love your neighbor as yourself.” Any conduct that meets the definition of “bullying” under this policy is therefore out of place, and LFCS does not tolerate any “bullying” behavior by any student, employee, volunteer, parent, or other member of the school community. (Psalm 82: 3-4 “Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”)
Definition
For purposes of this policy, the term “Bullying” is defined as aggressive behavior that is intentional, is repeated over time, and involves an imbalance of power or strength. Bullying can take on various forms, including, without limitation:
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Physical bullying – when one person engages in physical force against another person, such as by hitting, punching, pushing, kicking, pinching, or restraining another.
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Verbal bullying – when someone uses their words to hurt another, such as by belittling or calling another hurtful names.
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Nonverbal or relational bullying – when one person manipulates a relationship or desired relationship to harm another person. This includes social exclusion, friendship manipulation, or gossip. This type of bullying also includes intimidating another person by using gestures.
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Cyberbullying – the intentional and overt act of aggression toward another person by way of any technological tool, such as email, instant messages, text messages, digital pictures or images, or website postings (including blogs). Cyberbullying can include (without limitation):
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Sending mean, vulgar, or threatening messages or images.
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Posting sensitive, private information about another person.
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Pretending to be someone else in order to make that person look bad.
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Intentionally excluding someone from an online group.
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Hazing – an activity expected of someone joining or participating in a group that humiliates, degrades, abuses, or endangers that person regardless of that person’s willingness to participate.
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Sexualized bullying – when bullying involves behaviors that are sexual in nature. Examples of sexualized bullying behaviors include sexting, bullying that involves exposures of private body parts, and verbal bullying involving sexualized language or innuendos.
Anyone who witnesses or hears of an act of bullying is responsible for immediately reporting it to the LFCS Director or a teacher. In addition, anyone who witnesses an act of bullying and who then encourages it, is also engaging in bullying. Anyone found to have engaged in bullying will be subject to appropriate discipline up to and including expulsion in the case of a student and up to and including administrative leave and termination in the case of an employee.