Bullying, conflict, and mean moments….what’s the difference?
Bullying is a real problem in our world. At McClelland School we are committed to preventing and addressing bullying in our school community. As the school counselor, I teach lessons in classrooms throughout the year on a variety of social emotional topics including bullying, conflict resolution, and acceptance of others.
The word bullying gets a lot of attention and for good reason- it is serious and we have laws in place to protect victims.
Students need to know how to get along with each other. We work with students to enhance their social skills here at school and we know you do at home as well. Kids are going to make mistakes; the same as adults. We all have mean moments where we say something without thinking or get too caught up in the moment with big feelings. We all have conflicts at some point or another where we disagree and go back and forth with someone. These interactions are not bullying. We want students to continue to report bullying, however, we also want them to develop the coping skills necessary to deal with rudeness and meanness in the world in which we live. It doesn’t make rude behavior okay but we need to learn how to handle when these moments come up.
Per RSA 193-F:3 and RSD School Board Policy JICK, Bullying is defined as:
a single significant incident or a pattern of incidents involving a written, verbal, or electronic communication, or a physical act or gesture, or any combination thereof, directed at another student which:
- Physically harms a student or damages the student’s property
- Causes emotional distress to a student - Interferes with a student’s educational opportunities
- Creates a hostile educational environment
- Substantially disrupts the orderly operation of the school
Bullying shall also include actions motivated by an imbalance of power based on a student’s actual or perceived personal characteristics, behaviors, or beliefs; or motivated by the student’s association with another person and based on the other person’s characteristics, behaviors, or beliefs.
Bullying is not:
A mean or rude moment, having a problem with someone, accidental or unintentional, or not liking someone.
Please reach out anytime you have a question or need help working through something with your child. We want to keep everyone safe as well as feel empowered.