According to the Rhode Island Safe Schools Act, the Statewide Bullying Policy, bullying means the use by one or more students or a written, verbal, or electronic expression or a physical act or gesture or any combination thereof directed at a student that: 

A. Causes physical or emotional harm to the student or damages the student's property; 

B. Places the student in reasonable fear or harm to themself or of damage to their property 

C. Creates an intimidating, threatening, or hostile, or abusive educational environment for the student 

D. Infringes on the student to participate in school activities; or 

E. Materially and substantially disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a school

The expression, physical act or gesture, may include but is not limited to, an incident or incidents that may be reasonably perceived as being motivated by characteristics such as: race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression or mental, physical, or sensory disability, intellectual ability or by any other distinguishing characteristic.

Students who observe an act of bullying or who have reasonable grounds to believe that bullying is taking place are to report the bullying to the school adult. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action.

To Report an Instance of Bullying, Please Click Here.

Cyberbullying means bullying through the use of technology  or any electronic communication, which shall include, but not be limited to, any transfer of signs, signals, writing, images, sounds, data, texting, or intelligence of any nature transmitted in whole or in part by a wire, radio, electromagnetic, photo electronic or photo optical system, including, but not limited to, electronic mail, Internet communications, instant messages, or facsimile communications.

Forms of cyberbullying may include but are not limited to: 

A. The creation of a web page or a blog in which the creator assumes the identity of another person;

B. The knowing impersonation of another person as the author of posted content or messages; or

C. The distribution by electronic means of a communication to more than one person or the posting of materials on an electronic medium that may be accessed by one or more persons, if the creation, impersonation, or distribution results in any of the conditions enumerated in clauses (a) to (e) of the definition of bullying. (Additional information can be found in RI's Statewide Bullying Policy. 

The Middletown Public Schools Bullying Policy can be found on the district website. Refer to the Middletown Public Schools' Bullying, Teen Domestic Violence & Sexual VIolence Policy 7100.