How Schools Approach Bullying
Few issues are more in the public eye, on social media, and in popular culture than bullying. Bully awareness is at an all-time high.
Sadly, awareness doesn’t mean eradication.
Bullying is still endemic at schools on every level. Worse, it has taken on new dimensions in the Information Age. The ‘schoolyard bully’ may still exist but nowhere near the number of on-line bullies.
It has never been easier to be a bully, never so easy to be anonymous, never so easy to join in. Bullying has gone high tech and that’s bad news for everyone.
California has strict anti-bullying laws. These include regulations governing how schools approach bullying. Many schools have adopted zero-tolerance rules for bullying. Students found to be bullying other students can be suspended or expelled.
Strong laws and regulations are not always effective. Technology, human error or indifference, and the covert nature of bullying in the 21st Century are often barriers to effective policing of bullies.
If your student is the victim of a bully in California, call The Hahn Legal Group APC as soon as possible.
We have extensive experience with California’s anti-bullying laws. More, we’ve had extensive experience with how school districts, colleges, private schools, and individual schools apply those laws.
The Hahn Law Group APC will outline the immediate measures you and your student should take. Then we will explore your many options.
Bullying in California Schools & Colleges.
Construction disputes can occur before, during, and after a construction project. They can involve the builder and the property owner. Builder and contractor. Contra California defines school bullying as “any severe or pervasive physical or verbal conduct directed toward another student and that can “be reasonably predicted” to cause fear or harm. This includes E-mail, phone calls, texts, sexts, social media, doxing, cyber-harassment, cyber-stalking and more.
The objects of bullying are fear and intimidation. Sometimes for a perceived wrong. Often for being different.
California law targets bullying based on a student’s “actual or perceived characteristic.” Those include:
- Disability
- Gender
- Gender identity
- Nationality, race or ethnicity
- Religion
- Sexual orientation
All secondary schools in the state must adopt policies and procedures to prevent and address bullying. As do the colleges within the University of California system.
Despite California’s extensive anti-bullying laws, bullying still occurs. If you or your children are the victim of a bully, it's important to know you have and options.
As soon as a parent or student becomes aware of bullying, they need to act. Notify the school.
Document everything. Save voice messages. Print out emails. Take screenshots of tweets, Instagram, Facebook posts and especially Snapchat. Take special care to screenshot Instagram and Facebook stories well before they ‘disappear.’
Document your attempts to get relief. Whether by reporting to the school or reaching out to the bully’s family. Keep records.
Above all, keep your head. Do not retaliate. It's a cliché that happens to be true: the retaliator is always the one who gets punished.
Then contact Hahn Law Group APC to review all your options and remedies.
In California, Hahn Law Group APC represents clients wherever the school is. We’ve represented students in San Diego, and Southern California including Los Angeles, Imperial, Inyo, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties. We also work with students throughout Northern California’s Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma counties.
