Bullying & Violence Prevention

Committed to Safety & Wellbeing at Southeast Polk Community School District

The Southeast Polk Community School District is committed to providing all students, employees, and volunteers with a safe school environment in which all members of the school community are treated with dignity and respect. Bullying and/or harassment of or by students, employees, and volunteers is against federal, state, and local policy and is not tolerated.

“Harassment” and “bullying” is taken to mean any electronic, written, verbal, or physical act or conduct toward a student which is based on any actual or perceived trait or characteristic of the student and which creates an objectively hostile school environment that meets one or more of the following conditions:

  • Places the student in reasonable fear of harm to the student’s person or property.
  • Has a substantially detrimental effect on the student’s physical or mental health.
  • Has the effect of substantially interfering with a student’s academic performance.
  • Has the effect of substantially interfering with the student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by a school.

The following board policies outline the district’s philosophy and procedures for handling bullying and harassment issues.

Report Bullying at a SEP School

Students who feel that they have been bullied or harassed should:

  • Tell a trusted adult. If you are not comfortable reporting the issue to school officials, please tell a trusted adult and ask them to contact the school or law enforcement.

  • Report the issue to your counselor. Your counselor will take a report and act accordingly.

  • Elementary students should have parents speak with the building principal.

  • The counselor or building administrator will begin the investigation and meet with the harasser/bully to process the bullying or harassment issue. If the harassment issue is severe enough, immediate consequences will be issued. All founded incidents of bullying will receive consequences.

  • The school official will contact the parent/guardian of the harasser/bully and the victim, making them aware of the situation.

  • Further instances of bullying or harassment by the same student will result in increased consequences, and the school resource officer may become involved.

  • Students and/or families may fill out the online Bullying Report Form:

  • Middle School Bullying Reporting Form

  • Jr. High Bullying Reporting Form

  • High School Bullying Reporting Form

Resources

Iowa Code section
280.28

Stopbullying.gov