Anti-

Bullying
Manual

SY 2022-2023
Sta. Rita National High School
Sta. Rita, Asturias, Cebu
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School ID: 312414
Sta. Rita National High School
Anti- Bullying Manual
When students are afraid to attend school/classes they cannot learn.
Bullying stoppage programs can help to provide a safe environment in which
teachers can teach and students can learn. When a student is bullied his or her
ability to participate in and benefit from the school’s educational programs or
activities is adversely affected.
The goal of this policy is to ensure that procedures are in place to prevent
bullying, limit the prevalence of bullying, and to make consequences salient to
everyone involved.

“Sta. Rita National High School believes that

providing an educational environment for all
students, teaching & non-teaching staff, and
families, free from harassment, intimidation,
or bullying supports a total learning
experience that promotes personal growth,
healthy interpersonal relationships,
wellness, and freedom from discrimination
and abuse. Therefore, harassment,
intimidation or bullying are forms of
dangerous and disrespectful behavior that
will not tolerated.”

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Definitions of Terms

1.“Bullying” means any repeated and pervasive written, verbal or

electronic expression, physical act or gesture, or a pattern thereof, that is
intended to cause distress upon one or more students in the school, on school
grounds, in school vehicles, at a designated bus stop, or at school activities or
sanctioned events. Bullying includes, but is not limited to, hazing, harassment,
intimidation or menacing acts of a student which may, but need not be based on
the student’s race, color, sex, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, age or
sexual orientation.

2. “Harassment” means knowingly pursuing a pattern of conduct that is

intended to annoy, alarm or terrorize another person.

3. “Disability Harassment” is defined as intimidation or abusive

behavior toward a student based on disability that creates a hostile environment
by interfering with or denying a student’s participation in or receipt of benefits,
services, or opportunities in the district.

Harassment and Disability Harassment include but are not limited to:
a. Verbal acts, teasing, use of sarcasm, jokes;
b. Name-calling, belittling;
c. Nonverbal behavior such as graphic or written statements;
d. Conduct that is physically threatening, harmful, or
humiliating; or
e. Inappropriate physical restraint by adults.

4.“Racial Harassment” consists of physical or verbal conduct relating to

an individual’s race when the conduct:
a. Has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or
offensive
academic environment;
b. Has the purpose or effect of substantially or unreasonably
interfering with
an individual’s academic performance; or
c. Otherwise adversely affects an individual’s academic opportunities.

5.“Sexual Harassment” means any unwelcome sexual advances,

requests for sexual favors, or other inappropriate verbal, written, or physical
conduct of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment may take place under any of the

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following circumstances:
a. When submission to such conduct is made, explicitly or implicitly, a
term
or condition of obtaining an education; or
b. Submission to or rejection of that conduct or communication by an
individual is used to factor in decisions affecting that individual’s education; or
c. That conduct or communication has the purpose or effect of
substantially or unreasonably interfering with an individual’s education, or
creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive educational environment.
6. “Hazing” means committing an act against a student, or coercing a
student into committing an act, that creates a risk of harm to a person, in order
for that student to be initiated into or affiliated with a student organization, or for
any other purpose. Hazing includes but is not limited to:
a. Any type of physical brutality such as whipping, beating, striking,
branding, shocking, or placing a harmful substance on the body.
b. Any type of physical activity such as sleep deprivation, exposure
to weather, confinement in a restricted area, calisthenics or other activity that
subject the student to an unreasonable risk of harm or that adversely affects the
mental or physical health or safety of the student.
c. Any activity involving the consumption of any alcoholic beverage,
drug, tobacco product or any other food, liquid, or substance that subjects the
student to an unreasonable risk of harm or that adversely affects the mental or
physical health or safety of the student.
d. Any activity that intimidates or threatens the student with
ostracism, that subjects the student to extreme mental stress, embarrassment,
shame, or humiliation, that adversely affects the mental health or dignity of the
student or discourages the student from remaining in school.
e. Any activity that causes or requires the student to perform a task
that involves a violation of state or federal law, or district policies.

Notice of Prohibition Against Bullying and Anti-Bullying Interventions

1. The prohibition against bullying shall be publicized by including the

following statement in the student handbook(s):
“Bullying behavior by any student in Sta. Rita National School is
strictly prohibited, and such conduct may result in disciplinary action,
adhering to the Rules and Regulation of the Department of Education.
“Bullying” means any repeated and pervasive written, verbal or electronic
expression, physical act or gesture, or a pattern thereof, that is intended to cause
distress upon one or more students in the school, on school grounds, in school
vehicles, at a designated bus stop, or at school activities or sanctioned events.

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Bullying includes, but is not limited to, hazing, harassment, intimidation or
menacing acts of a student which may, but need not be based on the student’s
race, color, sex, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, age or sexual
orientation that a reasonable person under the circumstances should know will
have the effect of:
• Placing a student in reasonable fear of physical harm or damage to
the student’s property; or
• Physically harming a student or damaging a student’s property; or
• Insulting or demeaning any student or group of students in such a
way as to disrupt or interfere with the school’s educational mission or the
education of any student.
“Students and parents may file verbal or written complaints
concerning suspected bullying behavior to school personnel and
administrators. Any report of suspected bullying behavior will be
promptly reviewed/attended and properly endorsed to proper authorities, using
the INTAKE SHEET, for prompt disciplinary action may be taken against the
perpetrator.”

2. Staff will be reminded at the beginning of each school year about the Anti-
Bullying Policy, as well as their responsibilities regarding bullying behavior. A
copy of the policy will be disseminated annually.
3.The Anti-Bullying Policy will be available on Office of the School Head,
and in all student handbooks.

Reporting Intimidation, Harassment, or Bullying Behavior

1. Any student who believes he/she has been the victim of harassment,
intimidation, bullying, or hazing by student or school personnel, or any
person with knowledge or belief of such conduct that may constitute
harassment, intimidation, bullying, or hazing toward a student should
immediately report the alleged acts.
2. The report may be made to any staff member. The staff member will
assist the student in reporting to the principal or other district
personnel.
3. Teachers and other school staff who witness acts of bullying or receive
student reports of bullying are required to promptly notify designated
staff.
4. Reports should be done in writing using the Harassment, Intimidation,
Bullying, or Hazing Complaint Form (See Sample Form, Appendix D). A
copy of this form will be submitted to the Guidance Coordinator.
5. School principal, with the School Grievance Committee is required

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 to accept and investigate all reports of intimidation, harassment or
bullying.
6. School principal and/or School Grievance Committee is required to
notify the parent or guardian of a student who commits a verified act of
intimidation, harassment, or bullying of the response of the school staff
and consequences that may result from further acts of bullying.
7. Nothing in this policy shall prevent any person from reporting directly
to the office of the Superintendent.
8. Retaliation against an individual who either orally reports or files a
written complaint regarding harassment, intimidation, bullying, or
hazing or who participates in or cooperates with an investigation is
prohibited.
9. The right to confidentiality, both of the complainant and the accused,
shall be preserved consistent with applicable laws.
10. To the extent permitted under the Family Educational Rights and
Privacy Act (FERPA) school staff is required to notify the parent or
guardian of a student who is a target of bullying of the action taken to
prevent any further acts of bullying.

Investigating Intimidation, Harassment, or Bullying Behavior

The School Grievance Committee will appropriately and promptly investigate

all reports of harassment, intimidation, bullying, or hazing. In determining whether
the alleged conduct constitutes bullying, the totality of the circumstances, the
nature of the conduct, the student’s history, and the context in which the alleged
conduct occurred will be investigated.
1. The School Head/School Grievance Committee will make every
effort to inform the parents/guardians of the victim and the accused of
any report of harassment, intimidation, bullying, or hazing prior to the
investigation taking place.
2. The investigation shall consist of personal interviews with the
complainant, the individual(s) against whom the complaint was filed,
and others who may have knowledge of the alleged incident(s) or
circumstances giving rise to the complaint. The investigation may also
consist of other methods or documents deemed relevant by the School
Grievance Body.
3. The district may take immediate steps to protect the complainant,
students, teachers, administrators, or other school personnel pending
the completion of an investigation.
4. The investigation shall be completed as soon as possible. The Principal
(or School Grievance Committee) shall make a written report to the

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 Superintendent upon completion of the investigation. A copy of the
completed report will be maintained also at the Guidance Office for
anecdotal record purposes.

Consequences for Bullying

1. Verified acts of bullying shall result in intervention by the Principal or

his/her School Grievance Committee that is intended to ensure that the
prohibition against bullying behavior is enforced.
2. Bullying behavior can take many forms and can vary dramatically in
how serious it is, and what impact it has on the targeted individual and
other students. Accordingly, there is no one response to bullying. While
conduct that rises to the level of “bullying” as defined above will
generally warrant disciplinary action against the perpetrator of such
bullying, whether and to what extent to impose disciplinary action is a
matter for the professional discretion of the Superintendent.

Consequences for Knowingly Making False Reports

1. False charges shall also be regarded as a serious offense and will result
in disciplinary action or other appropriate sanctions.

Anti-Bullying included in Health Education Curriculum

“Health Education” is the instructional program that provides the

opportunity to motivate and assist all students to maintain and improve their
health, prevent disease, and reduce health related risk behaviors. It allows
students to develop and demonstrate increasingly sophisticated health-related
knowledge, attitudes, skills, and practices.
Bullying behavior is mentioned specifically in many areas of the
Health Education performance standards, in all grade levels. All students need to
be aware of bullying behavior beginning in Kindergarten and continuing
throughout their school years. It imperative that students are comfortable with
understanding, describing, and recognizing bullying behaviors, and then in the
later grades being able to analyze those behaviors and role play refusal skills.
Our curriculum does recognize the importance of bully prevention
skills in all grade levels.

Threats of Violence

1. Threats of violence toward other students, school staff, or facilities

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 generally are prohibited and may result to disciplinary actions,
regardless of whether the student has previously engaged in such
conduct.
2. All employees and students are required to report evidence of threats of
violence to their Principal. Such reports shall be investigated by the
Principal or School Grievance Committee. All such reports shall be
documented by the Principal.
3. In cases of threats that may constitute a violation of criminal law, the
Principal, Superintendent or his Authorized Representative shall
notify law enforcement authorities.
4. Students who are charged with violation of this policy shall be placed
under investigation of the charge(s). Those found, through a due-
process hearing, to have violated this regulation shall be subject to
disciplinary actions. For Special Education students, School Head will
consult with the Director of Special Education regarding the appropriate
process.

Adapted from: Capitan Municipal School District

Anti-Bullying Policy Manual

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