Bullying Prevention

Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) believes that all students have a right to a safe, healthy and nurturing learning environment. The CVUSD community recognizes schools must be physically and emotionally safe for all students in order to promote and support academic achievement, citizenship, student attendance and engagement.   

CVUSD will not tolerate behavior that infringes on the safety and emotional wellbeing of any student or adult. The school does not tolerate any acts of bullying, intimidation or harassment of any student through words and actions.  

“Bullying”, as legally defined by California education code 48900(r), is any severe or pervasive physical or verbal act or conduct, including communications made in writing or by means of an electronic act. These acts can be reasonably perceived as being dehumanizing, intimidating, hostile, humiliating, threatening, or otherwise likely to evoke fear of physical harm or emotional distress and may be motivated either by bias or prejudice based upon any actual or perceived characteristic, such as race, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression; or a mental, physical or sensory disability or impairment; or by any other distinguishing characteristic. An "electronic act" means the transmission of a communication, including, but not limited to, a message, text, sound, or image, or a post on a social network internet web site, by means of an electronic device, including, but not limited to, a telephone, wireless telephone or other wireless communication device, computer, or pager.  A "Reasonable pupil" means a pupil, including, but not limited to, an exceptional needs pupil, who exercises average care, skill, and judgment in conduct for a person of his or her age, or for a person of his or her age with his or her exceptional needs. 

There is an expectation all students, staff, parents, and volunteers demonstrate behavior that is respectful and civil and not tolerate bullying.  It is essential adults model behaviors as positive examples for student behavior. 

CVUSD expects students, staff and parents to immediately report any incident of bullying to the principal or designee.  Students, parents and staff members, who observe or experience any incident of bullying are also encouraged to complete and submit the “Student Harassment” form available on the school’s website.  Staff members are expected to immediately intervene when they observe bullying.  Each complaint of bullying will be promptly investigated and logged.  Students can rely on staff to promptly investigate each complaint of bullying in a thorough and confidential manner. 

CVUSD expects all students to conduct themselves in a manner that demonstrates the proper regard for the rights and welfare of other students, staff, parents, and community members.  All teachers will discuss this policy with their students in an age-appropriate manner and should assure student that they need not endure any form of bullying.  

Students who bully are in violation of these guidelines and are subject to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion (Education Code 48900(r)).  

District procedures for preventing and intervening in bullying behavior include, but are not limited, to the following: 

• All staff, students and parents will receive a copy of these guidelines prohibiting bullying at the beginning of the school year, and as part of the student handbook 
• The school’s principal or designee will keep a report of bullying and the results of investigation confidential 
• All staff will immediately intervene to an appropriate degree whenever they observe or become aware of a bullying 
• Non-staff members who observe or become aware of bullying are strongly encouraged to report the incident in order to support the school’s efforts to promote a safe learning environment 

This statement applies to every form of bullying, harassment, and/or cyber-bullying/harassment, whether in the classroom, on school premises, when a student is traveling to or from school, or at a school-sponsored event. Bullying or harassment, including cyber-bullying/ harassment, that is not initiated at a location defined above is covered by this policy if the incident results in a potentially material or substantial disruption of the school learning environment for one or more students and/or the orderly day-to-day operations of any school or school program.