Bullying, Cyberbullying and Harassment Prevention and Support

VBCPS is committed to providing an educational atmosphere free from harassment, intimidation, or bullying. Understanding how emotionally painful bullying and cyberbullying can be to students, VBCPS’ staff remain committed to preventing this type of harmful activity during the school day and at school-related activities. There are numerous initiatives and programs in place to create a culture that embraces respect for one another. For more information about preventing and responding to bullying, please visit our Bullying page.

Strong partnerships and communication between students, parents/legal guardians and schools are crucial in identifying and addressing instances of bullying, preventing future incidents and providing support for students impacted by bullying behavior. Should a student or parent/legal guardian be aware of any act of bullying or cyberbullying committed by another student, he or she should immediately report this incident to school administration to be investigated and addressed.

What are Bullying, Cyberbullying and Harassment?

Bullying

Bullying is aggressive and unwanted behavior that is intended to harm, intimidate, or humiliate the victim. It involves

a real or perceived power imbalance between the aggressor and victim,
and
is repeated over time, or
causes severe emotional trauma. Virginia Code §22.1-276.01

Bullying does not include ordinary teasing, horseplay, argument or peer conflict.

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices. It can occur through:

School-issued or personal devices
SMS, text, and apps
Online, in social media, blogs/forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content

Cyberbullying includes electronic communication that is deliberate, hostile, or hurtful and is intended to harm others. Cyberbullying includes:

Sending mean, vulgar or threatening messages or images
Posting sensitive, private information about another person
Pretending to be someone else to make a person look bad
Creating defamatory online sites and personal polling Web sites
Using artificial intelligence to create misleading information or to harm someone’s reputation

Harassment

Harassment is unwanted, unwelcomed, and uninvited behavior that demeans, threatens, or offends the victim and results in a hostile environment for the victim and bystanders. Harassing behavior includes:

Derogatory comments or slurs, epithets, and lewd propositions;
Physical acts of aggression such as assault, theft, or property damage
Offensive touching or any physical interference with normal school activity;
Visual insults such as derogatory posters or cartoons

Discrimination

Discriminatory harassment is harassment based on an individual’s race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, genetic information, military/veteran status, or membership in a protected class (SB Policy 5-7). Examples of discriminatory harassment includes:

Written or spoken language or graffiti containing offensive language or graphic depictions;
Name calling, jokes, rumors, slurs, negative stereotypes, or gestures related to an individual’s perceived membership in a protected group;
Ostracism/exclusion or forced participation in activities contrary to beliefs/values;

Students who threaten to cause harm or harass others will be referred to the Principal or Assistant Principal for appropriate disciplinary action, which may include suspension and/or recommendation for long-term suspension or expulsion. (This includes actions in school, on school property, at a bus stop, on a school bus, at any school activity and/or actions that cause a disruption to the educational process at school.)

In addition to being familiar with the school division’s policies, please review the following Virginia legal codes with your child:

Virginia Code §18.2-152.7:1 states, “If any person, with the intent to coerce, intimidate, or harass any person, shall use a computer or computer network to communicate obscene, vulgar, profane, lewd, lascivious, or indecent language, or make any suggestion or proposal of an obscene nature, or threaten any illegal or immoral act, he shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.”

Virginia Code §18.2-60 Virginia Code §18.2-60 states that if a threat is written, signed or unsigned, and contains a threat to kill or to do bodily injury to an individual or member of his/her family, it is a Class 6 felony. (This would include written threats to kill or to do bodily harm that are communicated via electronic communication.)

School Board of the City of Virginia Beach Policy 5-36 Virginia Code §22.1-276.01 School Board of the City of Virginia Beach Policy 6-62 School Board of the City of Virginia Beach Policy 6-64 School Board of the City of Virginia Beach Regulation 6-62.1 School Board of the City of Virginia Beach Regulation 6-64.1

Not Nice

Mean

When someone says or does something intentionally hurtful and they do it once.

For example, Mary laughs at a new classmate, Debbie, and loudly tells her, for the whole class to hear, that her shirt is ugly and makes her outfit look like trash. Debbie ignores Mary’s behavior and plans to talk with her mentor for mediation. Mary does not repeat the behavior.

Mary’s behavior is mean, but it is not bullying.

Bullying

When there is a real or perceived power imbalance and someone says or does something intentionally hurtful and they keep doing it over time, even when you tell them to stop or show them that you are upset, or the behavior causes severe emotional trauma.

For example, Mary repeatedly makes fun of a new classmate, Debbie. Mary repeatedly laughs at her and points out to the class that her clothes are ugly and look like trash. Debbie quietly asks Mary to stop but being new, she is intimidated by Mary. Mary’s behavior continues, even after the teacher also addresses Mary’s behavior. Debbie dreads going to class and facing Mary’s repeated insults.

Mary’s behavior is intentionally hurtful, includes a power imbalance and repeated over time. Mary’s behavior IS BULLYING.

For example, Mary makes fun a new classmate, Debbie. Mary laughs and points out that her clothes are ugly and look like trash. Debbie quietly asks Mary to stop but being new, she is intimidated by Mary. Mary then rubs food on the back of Debbie’s shirt and points it out to the class. As everyone laughs, the teacher intervenes to stop Mary and settle the class. However, with her clothes ruined and feeling humiliated, Debbie runs from the classroom in tears and doesn’t want to return.

Mary’s behavior is intentionally hurtful, includes a power imbalance and although it is not repeated, it is severe enough to have caused severe emotional trauma. Mary’s behavior IS BULLYING.

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Elementary School

Middle School

High School

Specialty Centers

In This Section

Bullying, Cyberbullying and Harassment Prevention and Support

What are Bullying, Cyberbullying and Harassment?

Bullying

Cyberbullying

Harassment

Discrimination

Not Nice

Mean

Bullying