Bullying Intervention
SBCUSD uses a highly effective Restorative Justice intervention to eliminate bullying and cyber-bullying. This unique intervention is implemented at our elementary, middle and high schools.
If you suspect that your student is being bullied or cyberbullied, remember we are here to help!
Please contact Positive Youth Development by completing a Bullying Report Form below:
SBCUSD Anti-Bullying Policy
While we continue focusing on these systemic changes, we remain committed to protecting students who are harassed, intimidated, or bullied by taking immediate steps to intervene. We hope you will join us in our commitment to creating a learning community where all students are respected, welcomed, empowered and supported.
Anti-Bullying Policy
BP 5131.2
Students
The San Bernardino City Unified School District recognizes the harmful effects of bullying on student learning and school attendance and desires to provide safe school environments that protect students from physical and emotional harm. District employees shall establish student safety as a high priority and shall not tolerate bullying of any student.
No individual or group shall, through physical, written, verbal, or other means, harass, sexually harass, threaten, intimidate, retaliate, cyberbully, cause bodily injury to, or commit hate violence against any student or school personnel.
Cyberbullying includes the creation or transmission of harassing communications, direct threats, or other harmful texts, sounds, or images on the Internet, social media, or other technologies using a telephone, computer, or any wireless communication device. Cyberbullying also includes breaking into another person's electronic account and assuming that person's identity in order to damage that person's reputation.
Strategies for addressing bullying in district schools shall be developed with the involvement of key stakeholders, including students, parents/guardians, and staff, and may be incorporated into the comprehensive safety plan, the local control and accountability plan, and other applicable district and school plans.
Bullying Prevention
To the extent possible, district schools shall focus on the prevention of bullying by establishing clear rules for student conduct and implementing strategies to promote a positive, collaborative school climate. Students shall be informed, through student handbooks and other appropriate means, of district and school rules related to bullying, mechanisms available for reporting incidents or threats, and the consequences for engaging in bullying.
As appropriate, the district shall provide students with instruction, in the classroom or other educational settings, that promotes effective communication and conflict resolution skills, social skills, character/values education, respect for cultural and individual differences, self-esteem development, assertiveness skills, and appropriate online behavior.
Staff shall receive related professional development, including information about early warning signs of harassing/intimidating behaviors and effective response.
Intervention
Students are encouraged to notify school staff when they are being bullied or suspect that another student is being victimized. In addition, the Superintendent or designee shall develop means for students to report threats or incidents confidentially and anonymously.
School staff who witness an act of bullying shall immediately intervene to stop the incident when it is safe to do so. (Education Code 234.1)
When appropriate based on the severity or pervasiveness of the bullying, the Superintendent or designee shall notify the parents/guardians of victims and perpetrators and may contact law enforcement.
The Superintendent, principal, or administrative designee may refer a victim, witness, perpetrator, or other student affected by an act of bullying to a school counselor, school psychologist, social worker, child welfare attendance personnel, school nurse, or other school support service personnel for case management, counseling, and/or participation in a restorative justice program as appropriate. (Education Code 48900.9)
Reporting and Filing of Complaints
Any student, parent/guardian, or other individual who believes that a student has been subjected to bullying or who has witnessed bullying may report the incident to a teacher, the principal, administrative designee, or any other available school employee. Within one business day of receiving such a report, a staff member shall notify the administrator or administrative designee of the report, whether or not a uniform complaint is filed. In addition, any school employee who observes an incident of bullying involving a student shall, within one business day, report his/her observation to the principal or administrative designee, whether or not the alleged victim files a complaint.
Within two business days of receiving a report of bullying, the admin or admin designee shall notify Youth Services Department. Uniform Complaint Procedures shall also be used when addressing complaints alleging failure to comply with state and/or federal laws as identified in BP 1312.3 - Uniform Complaint Procedures.
When a report of bullying is submitted, the student who is the alleged victim of bullying shall be given an opportunity to describe the incident, identify witnesses who may have relevant information, and provide other evidence of bullying.
To Report bullying please contact the Youth Services department at 909-880-6812.
Response To Immigration Enforcement Policy (Hate Motivated Behavior Policy)
BP 5145.13
The Governing Board is committed to the success of all the students and believes that every school site should be a safe and welcoming place for all students and their families, irrespective of their citizenship or immigration status.
District staff shall not solicit or collect information or documents regarding the citizenship or immigration status of students or their family members or provide assistance with immigration enforcement at district schools, except as may be required by state and federal law. (Education Code 234.7)
No student shall be denied equal rights and opportunities nor be subjected to unlawful discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying in the district’s programs and activities on the basis of his/her immigration status. (Education Code 200, 220, 234.1)
The Superintendent or designee shall notify parents/guardians regarding their children’s right to a free public education regardless of immigration status or religious beliefs and their rights related to immigration enforcement. (Education Code 237.7)
Consistent with requirements of the California Office of the Attorney General, the Superintendent or designee shall develop procedures for addressing any requests by a law enforcement officer for access to district records, school sites, or students for the purpose of immigration enforcement.
Teachers, school administrators, and other school staff shall receive training regarding immigration issues, including information on responding to a request from an immigration officer to visit a school site or to have access to a student. The Superintendent or designee shall report to the Board in a timely manner any requests for information or access to a school site by an officer or employee of a law enforcement agency for the purpose of enforcing the immigration laws. Such notification shall be provided in a manner that ensures the confidentiality and privacy of any potentially identifying information. (Education Code 234.7)
Parental Notification of Immigration-Enforcement Actions
District personnel must receive consent from the student’s parent or guardian before a student can be interviewed or searched by any officer seeking to enforce the civil immigration laws at the school, unless the officer presents a valid, effective warrant signed by a judge, or presents a valid, effective court order.
District personnel shall immediately notify the student’s parents or guardians if a law-enforcement officer requests or gains access to a student for immigration-enforcement purposes, unless such access was in compliance with a judicial warrant or subpoena that restricts the disclosure of the information to the parent or guardian.
Responding to On-Campus Immigration Enforcement
● As early as possible, District personnel shall notify the Superintendent or designated administrator of any request by an immigration enforcement officer for school or student access, or any requests for review of school documents (including for the services of lawful subpoenas, petitions, complaints, warrants, etc.).
● In addition to notifying the Superintendent or designated administrator, District personnel shall take the following action steps in response to an officer present on the school campus specifically for immigration enforcement purposes:
1. Advise the officer that before proceeding with his or her request, and absent exigent circumstances, school personnel must first receive notification and direction from the Superintendent or administrator.
2. Ask to see, and make a copy of or note, the officer’s credentials (name and badge number). Also ask for and copy or note the phone number of the officer’s supervisor.
3. Ask the officer for his/her reason for being on school grounds and document it.
4. Ask the officer to produce any documentation that authorizes school access.
5. Make a copy of all documents provided by the officer. Retain one copy of the documents for school records.
6. If the officer declares that exigent circumstances exist and demands immediate access to the campus, District personnel should comply with the officer’s orders and immediately contact the Superintendent or other administrator.
7. If the officer does not declare that exigent circumstances exist, respond according to the requirements of the officer’s documentation. If the immigration-enforcement officer has:
3. Ask the officer for his/her reason for being on school grounds and document it.
4. Ask the officer to produce any documentation that authorizes school access.
5. Make a copy of all documents provided by the officer. Retain one copy of the documents for school records.
6. If the officer declares that exigent circumstances exist and demands immediate access to the campus, District personnel should comply with the officer’s orders and immediately contact the Superintendent or other administrator.
7. If the officer does not declare that exigent circumstances exist, respond according to the requirements of the officer’s documentation. If the immigration-enforcement officer has:
● An ICE (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement) administrative warrant (see Appendix B), District personnel shall inform the agent that he or she cannot consent to any request without first consulting with the District’s counsel or other designated agency official.
● A federal judicial warrant (search-and-seizure warrant or arrest warrant) (see Appendix C & D), prompt compliance with such a warrant is usually legally required. If feasible, consult with the District’s legal counsel or designated administrator before providing the agent access to the person or materials specified in the warrant.
● A subpoena for production of documents or other evidence (see Appendix E & F), immediate compliance is not required. Therefore, the SBCUSD personnel shall inform District legal counsel or other designated official of the subpoena, and await further instructions on how to proceed.
1. While District personnel should not consent to access by an immigration-enforcement officer, except as described above, he/she should not attempt to physically impede the officer, even if the officer appears to be exceeding the authorization given under a warrant or other document. If an officer enters the premises without consent, District personnel shall document his or her actions while on campus.
2. After the encounter with the officer, District personnel shall promptly take written notes of all interactions with the officer. The notes shall include the following items:
● List or copy of the officer’s credentials and contact information;
● Identity of all school personnel who communicated with the officer;
● Details of the officer’s request;
● Whether the officer presented a warrant or subpoena to accompany his/her request, what was requested in the warrant/subpoena, and whether the warrant/subpoena was signed by a judge;
● The District personnel’s response to the officer’s request;
● Any further action taken by the agent; and
● Photo or copy of any documents presented by the agent.
● Identity of all school personnel who communicated with the officer;
● Details of the officer’s request;
● Whether the officer presented a warrant or subpoena to accompany his/her request, what was requested in the warrant/subpoena, and whether the warrant/subpoena was signed by a judge;
● The District personnel’s response to the officer’s request;
● Any further action taken by the agent; and
● Photo or copy of any documents presented by the agent.
● District personnel shall provide a copy of those notes, and associated documents collected from the officer, to the legal counsel or other designated personnel of SBCUSD.
● In turn, the District’s legal counsel or other designated official, shall submit a timely report to the governing board regarding the officer’s requests and actions and the District’s response(s).
● E-mail the Bureau of Children’s Justice in the California Department of Justice, at BCJ@doj.ca.gov, regarding any attempt by a law-enforcement officer to access a school site or a student for immigration-enforcement purposes.
● E-mail the Bureau of Children’s Justice in the California Department of Justice, at BCJ@doj.ca.gov, regarding any attempt by a law-enforcement officer to access a school site or a student for immigration-enforcement purposes.
Responding to the Detention or Deportation of a Student’s Family Member
The San Bernardino City Unified School District shall encourage that families and students have, and know, their emergency phone numbers and know where to find important documentation, including birth certificates, passports, Social Security cards, doctors’ contact information, medication lists, lists of allergies, etc., which will allow them to be prepared in the event that a family member is detained or deported.
The San Bernardino City Unified School District shall permit students and families to update students’ emergency contact information as needed throughout the school year, and provide alternative contacts if no parent or guardian is available.
The San Bernardino City Unified School District shall ensure that families may include the information of
an identified trusted adult guardian as a secondary emergency contact in case a student’s parent or guardian is detained.
The San Bernardino City Unified School District shall communicate to families that information provided within the emergency cards will only be used in response to specified emergency situations, and not for any other purpose.
In the event a student’s parent/guardian has been detained or deported by federal immigration authorities, the San Bernardino City Unified School District shall use the student emergency card contact information and release the student to the person(s) designated as emergency contacts. Alternatively, the District shall release the student into the custody of any individual who presents a Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavit on behalf of the student. The District shall only contact Child Protective Services if the personnel are unsuccessful in arranging for the timely care of the child through the emergency contact information that the school has, a Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavit, or other information or instructions conveyed by the parent or guardian.
Policies for Responding to Hate Crimes and Bullying
Adopting and Publicizing Anti-Bullying and Anti-Harassment Policy
- The San Bernardino City Unified School District shall adopt and publicize policies that prohibit discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying on the basis of a student’s actual or perceived nationality, ethnicity, or immigration status. Those policies must be translated in the student’s primary language if at least 15 percent of the students enrolled in the school speak a single primary language other than English.
- The San Bernardino City Unified School District shall notify parents and guardians of their children’s right to a free public education, regardless of immigration status or religious beliefs.
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- This information shall include information related to the “Know Your Rights” immigration enforcement established by the Attorney General (see Appendix G).
- The District shall inform students who are victims of hate crimes of their right to report such crimes.
Processing Complaints of Harassment and Bullying
- The San Bernardino City Unified School District shall adopt a process for receiving complaints of and investigating complaints of discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying based on any of the following actual or perceived characteristics:
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- Disability
- Gender
- Gender Identity
- Gender Expression
- Immigration Status
- Nationality
- Race or Ethnicity
- Religion
- Sexual Orientation
- Association with a person or group with one or more of the aforementioned characteristics
- The complaint process must include, but is not limited to, the following steps:
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- A requirement that, if school personnel witness an act of discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying, they shall take immediate steps to intervene when safe to do so;
- A timeline to investigate and resolve complaints of discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying that shall be followed by all schools under the jurisdiction of the local educational agency; and
- An appeal process afforded to the complainant should he or she disagree with the resolution of a complaint.
- The District shall ensure that complaint procedures contain confidentiality safeguards for immigration status information.
- The District shall prohibit retaliation against a person who submits a complaint of discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying.
Training Students, Teachers, and Staff on Anti-Bullying and Anti-Harassment Policy
- The San Bernardino City Unified School District shall educate students about the negative impact of bullying other students based on their actual or perceived immigration status or their religious beliefs or customs.
- The San Bernardino City Unified School District shall also train teachers, staff, and personnel to ensure that they are aware of their legal duty to take reasonable steps to eliminate a hostile environment and respond to any incidents of harassment based on the actual or perceived characteristics noted above. Such training should, at minimum, provide agency personnel with the skills to do the following:
- Discuss the varying immigration experiences among members of the student body and school community;
- Discuss bullying-prevention strategies with students, and teach students to recognize the behavior and characteristics of bullying perpetrators and victims;
- Identify the signs of bullying or harassing behavior;
- Take immediate corrective action when bullying is observed; and
- Report incidents to the appropriate authorities, including law enforcement in instances of criminal behavior.