PUSD's Policy Aligns With National Bullying Prevention Month

PLEASANTON, CA — October is National Bullying Prevention Month, meant to bring attention to the bullying problem and involve people nationwide in a conversation on how to create a world safe from bullying.

Pleasanton Unified School District is among many across the nation working to address this issue. But for bullying prevention to work, everyone needs to be involved. "That means we need help from parents, guardians, coaches and community members too," the district states on its website.

For its part, the PUSD does have a comprehensive policy in place that deals with bullying.

"The governing board recognizes the harmful effects of bullying on student learning and school attendance and desires to provide a safe school environment that protects students from physical and emotional harm," the district's policy states. "District employees shall establish student safety as a high priority and shall not tolerate bullying of any student."

The policy continues, "No student or group of students shall, through physical, written, verbal, or other means, harass, sexually harass, threaten, intimidate, cyberbully, cause bodily injury to, or commit hate violence against any other student or school personnel."

The policy's section on cyberbullying goes into great detail: "Cyberbullying includes the 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."

Read the PUSD's full policy on bullying.

Looking for more information from the PUSD? Visit the district's Bullying Prevention portal at https://www.pleasantonusd.net/apps/pages/BullyingPrevention.