Harassment/Bullying/Hazing Policy
Visitation School is committed to providing a safe and comfortable learning environment that respects Christian values and is free from harassment, bullying or hazing in any form. Harassment, bullying or hazing of any student by any other student, lay employee, religious, clergy or school volunteer is prohibited. The school will treat allegations of any such conduct seriously and will review and investigate such allegations in a prompt, confidential and thorough manner.
Substantiated acts of harassment, bullying or hazing by a student will result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal of the student. Students found to have filed false or frivolous charges will also be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal. For students in grades K-3, this disciplinary action shall depend on the maturity of the students and the circumstances involved. For students in grades 4 through 8, the disciplinary action may include suspension or dismissal.
Harassment occurs when an individual is subjected to treatment or a school environment that is hostile or intimidating. It includes, but is not limited to, any or all of the following:
- Verbal harassment: Derogatory comments and jokes; threatening words spoken to another person.
- Physical harassment: Unwanted physical touching, contact, assault, deliberate impending or blocking of movements, or any intimidating interference with
normal work or movement.
- Visual harassment: Derogatory, demeaning or inflammatory posters, cartoons, written words, drawings, and gestures.
- Sexual harassment: Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
Bullying is the habitual harassment, intimidating, tormenting, browbeating, humiliating, terrorizing, oppressing and/or threatening of another person. Bullying typically consists of direct behaviors, such as teasing, taunting, threatening, hitting, shoving, and stealing that are initiated by one or more students against a victims or victims. In addition to direct attacks, bullying may also include exclusion. Whether the bullying is direct or indirect, the key component of bullying is physical or psychological intimidation that occurs repeatedly over time to create an ongoing pattern of harassment and abuse.
Students may also be involved in cyberbullying, which occurs when they bully each other using the Internet, mobile phones or other cyber technology. This may include, but is not limited to:
- Sending mean-spirited text, email or instant messages.
- Posting inappropriate pictures or messages about others in blogs or on Websites.
- Using someone else's user name to spread rumors or lies about someone.
Hazing is any method of initiation or pre-initiation into a student organization or student body or any pastime or amusement engaged in with respect to these organizations which cause, or is likely to cause, mental harm to any student or other person.
It is the student's responsibility to:
- Conduct himself or herself in a manner that contributes to a positive school environment.
- Avoid any activity that may be considered discriminatory, intimidating, harassing, bullying or hazing.
- If possible, inform the other person(s) that the behavior is offensive and unwelcome.
- Report all incidents of discrimination, harassment, bullying or hazing to the principal or teacher.
- As appropriate the students involved may be asked to complete a formal, written complaint which will be investigated thoroughly and will involve only the
necessary parties. Confidentiality will be maintained as much as possible.
Visitation School is committed to providing a safe and comfortable learning environment that respects Christian values and is free from harassment, bullying or hazing in any form. Harassment, bullying or hazing of any student by any other student, lay employee, religious, clergy or school volunteer is prohibited. The school will treat allegations of any such conduct seriously and will review and investigate such allegations in a prompt, confidential and thorough manner.
Substantiated acts of harassment, bullying or hazing by a student will result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal of the student. Students found to have filed false or frivolous charges will also be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal. For students in grades K-3, this disciplinary action shall depend on the maturity of the students and the circumstances involved. For students in grades 4 through 8, the disciplinary action may include suspension or dismissal.
Harassment occurs when an individual is subjected to treatment or a school environment that is hostile or intimidating. It includes, but is not limited to, any or all of the following:
- Verbal harassment: Derogatory comments and jokes; threatening words spoken to another person.
- Physical harassment: Unwanted physical touching, contact, assault, deliberate impending or blocking of movements, or any intimidating interference with
normal work or movement.
- Visual harassment: Derogatory, demeaning or inflammatory posters, cartoons, written words, drawings, and gestures.
- Sexual harassment: Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
Bullying is the habitual harassment, intimidating, tormenting, browbeating, humiliating, terrorizing, oppressing and/or threatening of another person. Bullying typically consists of direct behaviors, such as teasing, taunting, threatening, hitting, shoving, and stealing that are initiated by one or more students against a victims or victims. In addition to direct attacks, bullying may also include exclusion. Whether the bullying is direct or indirect, the key component of bullying is physical or psychological intimidation that occurs repeatedly over time to create an ongoing pattern of harassment and abuse.
Students may also be involved in cyberbullying, which occurs when they bully each other using the Internet, mobile phones or other cyber technology. This may include, but is not limited to:
- Sending mean-spirited text, email or instant messages.
- Posting inappropriate pictures or messages about others in blogs or on Websites.
- Using someone else's user name to spread rumors or lies about someone.
Hazing is any method of initiation or pre-initiation into a student organization or student body or any pastime or amusement engaged in with respect to these organizations which cause, or is likely to cause, mental harm to any student or other person.
It is the student's responsibility to:
- Conduct himself or herself in a manner that contributes to a positive school environment.
- Avoid any activity that may be considered discriminatory, intimidating, harassing, bullying or hazing.
- If possible, inform the other person(s) that the behavior is offensive and unwelcome.
- Report all incidents of discrimination, harassment, bullying or hazing to the principal or teacher.
- As appropriate the students involved may be asked to complete a formal, written complaint which will be investigated thoroughly and will involve only the
necessary parties. Confidentiality will be maintained as much as possible.