Bullying Prevention and Procedure Plan

In order to be in compliance with the Polk County School Board’s Bullying Prevention Policies, Roosevelt Academy will implement this Bullying Prevention Plan for use in addressing bullying at our school. Roosevelt Academy recognizes that students should have a safe, orderly, civil and positive learning environment and that bullying has no place and will not be tolerated in its school. Roosevelt Academy shall provide the prohibition against bullying in the Code of Conduct meeting at the beginning of the year and throughout the year make students aware of the prohibition against bullying, the penalties for engaging in bullying, and the procedures for reporting bullying as needed.

CODE OF CONDUCT SECTION 7.07 – BULLYING AND HARASSMENT

Consistent with the requirement of Florida Statute 1006.147, it is the policy of the Polk County School District that all of its students and employees have a school environment that is safe, secure, and free from harassment and bullying of any kind. Bullying and harassment of any type will not be tolerated. Prohibition against bullying and harassment of students and employees is as follows:

Definition:

Bullying is a form of dangerous and disrespectful behavior that will not be permitted or tolerated.

In order for an incident to be considered bullying, it must include the following three criteria:

  1. Any behavior that is unwanted, offensive, threatening, insulting, causes discomfort or humiliation, or interferes with the individual’s school performance which results in the victim feeling stressed, injured, or threatened.
  2. The behaviors are repeated.
  3. There is an imbalance of power between the bully and the victim.

Bullying behavior can include the following forms of:

  • Physical aggression including but not limited to: hitting; pushing; spitting, or stalking
  • Verbal aggression including, but not limited to: name calling, teasing, making remarks
    that are insulting, threatening, disrespecting or demeaning a person’s race, disability,
    appearance, or sexual orientation
  • Emotional (relational) aggression including but not limited to: spreading rumors,
    isolating from a peer group through hurtful gossip.
  • Sexual aggression including but not limited to: any unwanted sexual advances or
    actions intended to make the other person uncomfortable, embarrassed, or humiliated,
    and might include obscenities, or gestures, exposure, or physical contact
  • Cyber bullying includes, but is not limited to: using the internet, interactive and digital
    technologies or mobile phones to communicate words, images, or language, directed at
    specific persons that has the harmful effects.

Harassment is any threatening, insulting, or dehumanizing gesture, use of data, or written, verbal or physical conduct directed against a student that:

  • Places a student in reasonable fear of harm to his or her person or damage to his or her property.
  • Has the effect of substantially interfering with a student’s educational performance, opportunities or benefits.
  • Has the effect of substantially disrupting the orderly operation of a school.

Note: The School Board has no duty to regulate or review off-campus Internet messages, statements, postings, or acts. However, the School Board reserves the right to regulate, review, investigate, and discipline students for cyber bullying or other disciplinary violations when such Internet statements, postings, or acts are made while on school campus, or made off-campus and such statements threaten violence against another student or otherwise disrupt the learning environment or orderly conduct of the school, school business, or school activities.

Reporting Procedures:

To address bullying, Roosevelt Academy encourages students to report acts of bullying personally or anonymously to the teachers and/or school administrators (or other trusted adults such as: parents, school counselors, school nurse, assistants, or bus drivers).  

  • Personal Reporting: Incidences of bullying will be reported using the Harassment or Bullying Report Form.
  • Anonymous Reporting: Individuals can place a note in the secure box in the office foyer documenting the date, approximate time, location, and nature of the bullying act, as well as the names of the offenders and victims. 

Investigation Procedures:

  • An investigation will be conducted by Administration.
  • As determined by law, this investigation will be conducted promptly. 

Investigation Steps:

  • Complete the Harassment/Bullying Report Form and/or the Bullying/Harassment Preliminary Review talking to proposed victim, suspect and witnesses.
  • If there is evidence of bullying, complete the Bullying Harassment Determination and Investigation Form  

Determination & Consequences:

  • Inform both sets of parents
  • Use Code of Conduct to determine consequences
    • SESIR Code (if necessary)
  • Complete Action Plan (if necessary)
  • Monitor and follow-up