​HIB- Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying

       Under the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights, principals are required to appoint one of their staff members as the school’s anti-bullying specialist. The law specifies that the principal must appoint a currently employed individual to fill this role. Each school district is required to adopt a policy prohibiting HIB, and the policy must include a procedure for prompt investigation of reports of violations and complaints.
     

       "Harassment, intimidation or bullying” means any gesture, any written, verbal or physical act, or any electronic communication, whether it be a single incident or a series of incidents, that is reasonably perceived as being motivated either by any actual or perceived characteristic, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or mental, physical or sensory (handicap) disability, or by any other distinguishing characteristic, that takes place on school property, at any school-sponsored function (or) on a school bus, or off school grounds as provided for in section 16 or P.L. 2010, CHAPTER 122, that substantially disrupts or interferes with the orderly operation of the school or the rights of other students and that:

        a) a reasonable person should know, under the circumstances, will have the effect of physically or emotionally harming a student or damaging the student’s property, or placing a student in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm to his person or damage to his property; (or)

        b) has the effect of insulting or demeaning any student or group of student ( in such a way as to cause substantial disruption in, or substantial interference with, the orderly operation of the school); or

        c) creates a hostile educational environment for the student by interfering with a student’s education or by severely or pervasively causing physical or emotional harm to the student. 

     

         Consequences and appropriate remedial actions for pupils who commit an act of harassment, intimidation or bullying range from positive behavioral interventions up to and including suspension or expulsion, as permitted under N.J.S.A. 18A:37-1, Discipline of Pupils and as set forth in N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.2, Short-term Suspension, N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.3, Long-term Suspensions and N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.5, Expulsions.  Appropriate student conduct is documented.

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For more information on H.I.B. please go to: https://www.state.nj.us/education/students/safety/behavior/hib/

Guidance for Parents on the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act (P.L.2010, c.122) click here

HIB 338 Form Harassment, Intimidation, or Bullying (HIB) Reporting Form 2022-23 School Year click here

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The Center School HIB Information:

HIB Specialist: Mr. Dwayne Bagnato-Lumbsden 908-253-3870 xt 325.

10 Steps of the HIB complaint and investigation process click here

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Conflict vs. Bullying

         

          During a conflict, name-calling, threats and other conduct that might look like bullying can occur. However, a conflict and bullying are very different.
          Unlike bullying, during a conflict people are equally involved in some type of disagreement. Conflict is considered mutual, meaning everyone is more or less evenly involved.
           Bullying, on the other hand, involves one or several people (the bullies) intentionally committing a mean or violent act against another person(s) or group of people (the victims). When bullying occurs, there is no mutual participation in a disagreement; it is one-sided. Bullying victims have a hard time defending themselves. The victims want the bullying to stop, but the bully continues the behavior.
           Conflicts and bullying can interrupt the school day, damage property and cause injuries to the people involved. However, when the behavior involves a conflict, the school will take action based on its code of student conduct instead of the ABR.

Bullying occurs when:

• One or more students are victims of unwanted or uninvited aggression, as the behavior applies to the definition of harassment, intimidation and bullying in the ABR;
• The aggressor’s behavior would lead a person to reasonably believe that the aggressor is motivated by a desire to physically or emotionally hurt someone;
• The aggression is one-sided; and
• The behavior is not an attempt to positively or negatively address or resolve a problem