Definition of Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB)

HIB is a common educational conflict that affect students and their families annually. According to the New Jersey Department of Education (2011) HIB is defined as:

"any gesture, any written, verbal or physical act, or any electronic communication, whether it be a single incident or a series of incidents, that: (1) is reasonably perceived as being motivated either by an actual or perceived characteristic, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or a mental, physical or sensory disability, or by any other distinguishing characteristic; (2) takes place on school property, at any school-sponsored function, or on a school bus; or off school grounds, as provided for in N.J.S.A. 18A:37-15.3; (3) substantially disrupts or interferes with the orderly operation of the school or the rights of other students; and ( 4) that a reasonable person should know, under the circumstances, will have the effect of physically or emotionally harming a student or damaging the student's property, or placing a student in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm to his person or damage to his property; or has the effect of insulting or demeaning any student or group of students; or creates a hostile educational environment for the student by interfering with a student's education or by severely or pervasively causing physical or emotional harm to the student" (p. 9).

For more information about HIB from the New Jersey Department of Education, visit https://www.nj.gov/education/students/safety/behavior/hib/

Types of Bullying
HIB occurs in multiple forms. Though the continuum of bullying is expansive, the most common forms of HIB include the following: cyber, emotional, physical, psychological, and social (see, Table 1). Due to the forcefulness and crudeness of bullying, each form of bullying is equally harmful to the education and development of a student. The school and home have a responsibility to teach children about the types of bullying.

Table 1
Types of Bullying

Type

Definition

Example

Cyber

Is a practice of using electronic devices (i.e., computer, laptops, cellphones, online applications, etc.,) to harass or taunt an individual with inappropriate communications, gestures or images

Lee threatened a classmate by sending several email messages suggesting he wanted to hurt them. Consequently, the student does not want to attend school because they are afraid of Lee.

Emotional

Is a practice of using words or actions to influence the feelings of an individual

Kia revealed Meg's test grade to the entire class. As a result, Meg felt humiliated.

Physical

Is a practice of hitting, kicking, fighting, etc., an individual

Bambi pushes and punches Lou when she does not get her way.

Psychological

Is a practice of manipulating the thoughts or actions of an individual

Ras told Aly that if she did not give him the test answers that he would fail and it would be her fault.

Social

Is a practice of isolating an individual based on distinguishable characteristics such as race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, customs and etc.

Minus and her friends isolate Vee from the lunch table because she is the new student.

Bullying Prevention
Bullying prevention are systematic routines educators employ to minimize or to mitigate the act of bullying on or off school grounds. School personnel, along with the family and the community, should collaborate to develop comprehensive procedures on how to report, manage, and spread awareness about HIB. New Jersey mandates each school to establish practices such as programming, training, and reporting to boost awareness and response.

Learn to be an Upstander
An upstander is an individual who stops bullying when it happens unlike a bystander, who may watch or participate in the act of bullying. When HIB takes place, it is essential that students understand their role and responsibility. A student who observes bullying, should defuse the situation by stating "Bullying is not allowed at our school!" Then, immediately notify a trusted adult like a teacher or a parent. A synonymous catchphrase for such instances is "when you see something, say something!" Once informed, the adult, especially in the case of a teacher, must report the incident verbally and through writing to the Anti-Bullying Specialist (ABS) and/or the school principal right away. From this point, a formal investigation can begin.

At-Home Interventions
At-Home interventions are strategies that the family can teach or model to their child. Some strategies include the demonstration of prosocial communication, the use of diplomatic language, positive verbal and non-verbal skills, and/or conflict resolution attributes. Other strategies include regular talks with your child about their day or social-emotional discussions to understand your child's concerns and feelings. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) developed an application for mobile devices to assist families to starting conversations about HIB called KnowBullying. The application is free of charge and is a practical tool to connect families with the child. For more information see https://store.samhsa.gov/product/knowbullying.

For more information on HIB click here.

School Counselor

Battle Hill