(Policy 3170, available on DragonNet)
Hong Kong International School is committed to building and sustaining a culture of respect, care and safety that is free from any form of harassment, bullying or intimidation. All members of our community – students, parents, faculty, staff and visitors – have a right to feel safe and protected and share the responsibility to build and maintain an environment in which everyone feels respected.
Offensive, harassing, bullying or intimidating behaviors will not be tolerated or ignored and will be dealt with appropriately and expeditiously.
Harassment (and to “harass”) is defined under this policy as conduct which has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment, or that causes substantial emotional distress in such a person and serves no legitimate purpose.
Harassment can take different forms and covers a wide range of offensive behaviors that are not considered reasonable from a social or moral perspective. Those behaviors demean, humiliate or embarrass a person and include visual displays, suggestive or offensive remarks, jokes, slurs, or epithets, gestures, sexual demands, propositions, or unwanted physical contact. The nature of the contact can be of a sexual nature or based on sex, disability, family status, race, or other protected classification.
Across the school, both prevention and intervention strategies are in place for our student and adult community, and will be published to respond appropriately to any acts of harassment, bullying, or intimidation. Age appropriate prevention and intervention strategies will also be put in place to educate HKIS’s student and adult community and to encourage empathy and respect.
Any repeated behavior that offends, upsets, embarrasses, frightens, excludes or hurts another person is bullying and/ or harassment. HKIS recognizes that these behaviors can take many forms including:
| Verbal Bullying and/or Harassment | |
|---|---|
| Language | Name-calling, spreading rumors, and/or directing insulting, teasing, threatening comments to another person |
| Virtual | Harassment, or spreading rumors by email, instant messaging, blog or any other media form |
| Religious | Putting down or ridiculing another’s religion, stopping another from expressing their beliefs |
| Racial | Making hurtful comments or discriminating against someone based on their nationality, race or culture, color of their skin or language spoken |
| Intellectual | Making hurtful comments based on someone’s intellectual or academic ability |
| Sexual | Making hurtful comments or discriminating against someone based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression |
| Non-Verbal Bullying and/or Harassment | |
|---|---|
| Physical | Hitting, kicking, pushing, spitting or any other form of physical behavior which is deemed to be aggressive in nature. |
| Personal Property (real or virtual) | Taking, damaging or trespassing on another’s property, including entering another student’s email account, personal belongings, or school locker without permission |
| Indirect | Intentionally excluding someone from a group, discussion or team |
| Graphic/Vandalism | Defacing another’s property, projects or photographs |
| Sexual | Making offensive gestures about another’s body, touching or maintaining unwelcome closeness to another person or discriminating against someone based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression |
Addressing Bullying and Harassment
We take the following steps to address and prevent bullying and harassment from taking place in the Middle School.
- Grade level Counselors provide talks to students throughout the year that discuss bullying & harassment behaviors, as well as teaching the students how to advocate for themselves and to resolve conflicts in a peaceful manner.
- PCG teachers introduce activities throughout the year to create classroom environments built on respect, inclusion and belonging, in which students can thrive and feel safe.
- The Middle School Leadership Team and Counselors provide information sessions for parents to raise awareness on the topics of bullying and harassment.
What can we all do to stop bullying and harassment at the Middle School?
If we are to maintain an ethos of care and respect for all members of our community, we must each take responsibility for maintaining an attitude of respect and being upstanders rather than tolerance for bullying and discrimination.
If you feel that you are being bullied or harassed
- If it feels safe to do so, tell the person to stop the bullying behavior.
- If the behavior persists or you do not feel safe, seek help from someone you trust e.g. a teacher, counselor, a parent or a member of the MS Leadership team.
If you witness bullying or harassment in person or online: Be an Upstander and not a Bystander
- Don’t be silent or stand by and do nothing; if you do not feel safe intervening, then please ask a member of faculty for support.
- Don’t encourage bullying or discrimination by laughing at the situation or using words to support what’s taking place.
- Do offer support or challenge the situation, e.g. ask, “Do you need any help?” or “Why are you doing this?”
- Report bullying incidents to a member of the Middle School Leadership Team, a Counselor, a faculty member or to another trusted adult.
Response to Bullying and Harassment
The Middle School Leadership team will investigate all reports of bullying and/or harassment. Any actions or consequences for this behavior will align with the Discipline Philosophy.
The goal is always for growth, reflection, and restoration. As a result, in collaboration with a member of the counseling team, a restorative justice and mediation session will be held with both parties as appropriate. This approach seeks to repair harm by providing an opportunity for those harmed and those who take responsibility for the harm to communicate about and address their needs in the aftermath of a bullying/harassing situation. It is a learning process, with an emphasis on taking accountability, building empathy, developing perspective taking skills, and learning how to better manage conflict and disagreements in the future.
If the behavior or similar behaviors continue, further disciplinary action will be taken.