Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying are prohibited by law per N.J.S.A 18A:37‐15(b) (1)

The Northern Valley RHS Board of Education prohibits acts of harassment, intimidation or bullying (HIB) of a student. The NVRHS Board of Education has determined that a safe and civil environment in school is necessary for students to learn and achieve high academic standards; HIB, like other disruptive or violent behaviors, is conduct that disrupts both a student’s ability to learn and a school’s ability to educate its students in a safe and disciplined environment. Since students learn by example, school administrators, faculty, staff and volunteers should be commended for demonstrating appropriate behavior, treating others with civility and respect and refusing to tolerate harassment, intimidation or bullying.

The NVRHS Board of Education believes that standards for student behavior must be set cooperatively through interaction among the parents and other community representatives, school administrators, school employees, school volunteers and students of the school district, producing an atmosphere that encourages students to grow in self‐discipline. The development of this atmosphere requires respect for self and others, as well as for district and community property on the part of students, staff and community members.

Students are expected to behave in a way that creates a supportive learning environment. The NVRHS Board of Education believes that the best discipline is self‐imposed, and that it is the responsibility of staff to use instances of violations of the code of student conduct as opportunities for helping students learn to assume and accept responsibility for their

behavior and the consequences of their behavior. Staff members who interact with students shall apply best practices designed to prevent student conduct problems and foster students’ abilities to grow in self‐discipline.

The NVRHS Board of Education expects that students will act in accordance with the student behavioral expectations described below. The NVRHS Board of Education prohibits active or passive support for acts of HIB. We encourage students to support students who:

• Do not participate in acts of HIB when they see them;
• Constructively attempt to stop acts of HIB;
• Provide support to students who have been subjected to HIB; and
• Report acts of HIB to the designated school staff.

Definition: “Harassment, intimidation or bullying” (HIB) 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 a 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, 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 that the act(s) 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;

B) has the effect of insulting or demeaning any student or group of students in such a way as to cause substantial disruption in, or substantial interference with the orderly operation of the school or creates a hostile education environment at school for the student or infringes on the rights of the student at school by interfering with a student’s education or by severely or pervasively causing physical or emotional harm to the student. Reporting: Anyone that wishes to report an incident of HIB should see his or her assistant principal or guidance counselor. Students can also report incidents of HIB anonymously using the HIB Hotline: 201‐768‐3200 ext.ll000. Further information can be found on the NVD website (dmhs.nvnet.org).

“Cyberbullying” is the use of electronic information and communication devices, to include but not limited to, e‐mail messages, instant messaging, text messaging, cellular telephone communications, internet blogs, internet chat rooms, internet postings, and defamatory websites, that deliberately threatens, harasses, intimidates an individual or group of individuals.

Sexual harassment is prohibited by law. Board of Education Policy 4111.1: Sexual harassment shall consist of unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, other inappropriate verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when made by any member of the school staff to pupil, when made by any member of the school staff to another member or when made by any pupil to another pupil or staff member.