Bullying is an intentional, hurtful act carried out
repeatedly and over time, which harms, induces fear and/or creates terror in
the victim. It is characterized by an imbalance of power between the victim
and the aggressor, and can take several forms including physical, emotional
and social bullying.
It may be verbal in nature (i.e., name-calling,
teasing, threatening, gossiping, etc), but can also take the form of
non-verbal harassment such as poking, tripping, stealing, destroying the
personal property of others, and/or ostracizing someone from a group.
Bullying is different form fighting or teasing. What makes it different is
the way the bully shows power over the victim. Bullies try to control other
using scare tactics, and often will seek out victims who are alone, act very
emotional, or who give in to others easily.
In an effort to better understand the scope and severity of the problem and to implement a program to address the issue of bullying on a districtwide level, a Task Force on Bullying and Harassment was formed in 2003.
Their goal is to identify programs and practices that allow everyone to enjoy Guilderland schools equally, and to feel safe, secure and accepted regardless of color, race, gender, popularity, sexual orientation, athletic ability, intelligence, religion or nationality. They meet regularly and are working to create a safer, more supportive place for children to learn and grow, and to ultimately build a stronger school community.
