PVUSD's Policy Aligns With National Bullying Prevention Month

WATSONVILLE, 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.

Pajaro Valley 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 PVUSD does have a comprehensive policy in place that deals with bullying.

"The board desires to prevent bullying by establishing a positive, collaborative school climate

and clear rules for student conduct," according to the district's policy. "The governing board 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.

The policy continues, "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."

The policy's section on cyberbullying goes into great detail: "Cyberbullying includes the transmission of communications, posting of harassing messages, direct threats, or other harmful texts, sounds, or images on the internet, social networking sites, or other digital 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 PVUSD's full policy on bullying.

Looking for more information? Visit your child's school website. Several PVUSD schools have portals that address bullying prevention.