Weddington Middle in conjunction with the UCPS BOE believes that all students should be free of unlawful discrimination, including harassment and bullying, as a part of a safe, orderly and inviting learning environment. It commits itself to non-discrimination in all its educational and extracurricular activities. We expressly prohibit unlawful discrimination, harassment, or bullying however motivated, directed toward any person or group, including, but not limited to acts reasonably perceived as being motivated by any actual or perceived differentiating characteristic, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, socioeconomic status, academic status, gender identity, physical appearance, sexual orientation, or mental, physical, developmental, or sensory disability, or by association with a person who has or is perceived to have one or more of these characteristics.

What is bullying?

Bullying is when an individual or a group of people with more power, repeatedly and intentionally cause hurt or harm to another person or group of people who feel helpless to respond. Bullying can continue over time, is often hidden from adults, and will probably continue if no action is taken.

Bullying is not:

• single episodes of social rejection or dislike
• single episode acts of nastiness or spite
• random acts of aggression or intimidation
• mutual arguments, disagreements or fights.

These actions can cause great distress. However, they're not examples of bullying unless someone is deliberately and repeatedly doing them.

There are four kinds of bullying:

• Physical bullying includes hitting, pushing, or any physical aggression.
• Verbal bullying includes name-calling, insults, teasing, intimidation, homophobic or racist remarks, or verbal abuse.
• Covert or Hidden Bullying includes talking behind someone’s back or intentionally spreading rumors to ruin one's reputation
• Cyberbullying includes overt and covert bullying behaviors using digital technologies, including hardware such as computers and smartphones and software such as social media, instant messaging, and texts.

Source: (National Centre Against Bullying:  http://www.ncab.org.au/)

This infographic gives us important stat on bullying and why it is something we address immediately and take very seriously.

Source: stopbullying.gov

Resources for advice on how to properly handle or report school bullying incidents

• https://www.stopbullying.gov/
• https://www.pacer.org/bullying/
• Chracter.org
• https://cyberbullying.org/resources/teens
• https://bullyingnoway.gov.au/ 
• 5-Minute Film Festival: Turning Bystanders Into Upstanders Against Bullying

Articles on Bullying Prevention

• Empowering Students to Curb Bullying  By: Jinie Speigler for Edutopia
• Standing up to bullying can be frightening, but students can use these low-risk strategies to support peers who are bullied.
• How Do I Help a kid Who’s Bullied? Reviewed by D’Arcy Lyness for KidsHealth.org. Wouldn’t it be excellent if those bystanders would do something to help someonewho’s being bullied?  But how exactly do you find the courage to do it?

School Personnel to contact if you are being bullied or see bullying taking place: