What is the Week of Respect?
The Week of Respect is an annual week of awareness, education and action around harassment, intimidation and bullying in New Jersey public schools. The Week of Respect is held this year October 7-11th.
You can get involved in the Week of Respect by signing up today and committing to create inclusive safe schools for all students.
Bullying Prevention Month & Week of Respect FREE Kickoff Event
‘Empowering Youth – Be More than a Bystander
Garden State Equality Presents a Special Free Film Screening
with the Southern Poverty Law Center
‘BULLIED’
Tuesday, Oct. 1st – 6:00 pm
Burgdorff Cultural Center
Maplewood, NJ
Bullying
Bullying can include actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose.
Bullying can occur in person or through technology (electronic aggression or cyberbullying). Electronic aggression is bullying that occurs through email, a chat room, instant messaging, a website, a text message or videos or pictures posted on a website or cell phone.
The NJ Anti-Bullying Rights Act of 2011 HIB Definition
“Harassment, intimidation or bullying” means any gesture or written, verbal or physical act that is reasonably perceived as being motivated either by any 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, that takes place on school property, at any school-sponsored function or on a school bus and that a reasonable person should know, under the circumstances, will have the effect of harming a student or damaging the student’s property or placing a student in reasonable fear of harm to his or her person or damage to his or her property; or has the effect of insulting or demeaning any student or group of students in such a way as to cause substantial disruption in, or substantial interference with, the orderly operation of the school. (N.J.S.A. 18A:37-13 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.9, Intimidation, harassment, and bullying)
NJ Department of Education Guidance for Schools on Implementing the Anti-Bullying Rights Act 2011
Types of Bullying
Verbal bullying includes:
o Teasing
o Name-calling
o Inappropriate sexual comments
o Taunting
o Threatening to cause harm
Social bullying includes:
o Leaving someone out on purpose
o Telling other youth not to be friends with someone
o Spreading rumors about someone
o Embarrassing someone in public
Physical bullying includes:
o Hitting/kicking/pinching
o Spitting
o Tripping/pushing
o Taking or breaking someone’s things
o Making mean or rude hand gestures
o Making unwanted sexual gestures or comments, or touching
Cyberbullying includes:
o Spreading hurtful information through email
o Spreading hurtful information via on-line chats, social networking sites or text and picture messages
Where can I get help and information on HIB ?
Garden State Equality operates a state-wide HIB hotline open to students, parents, educators that need guidance and assistance. You can reach the hotline by dialing 1-877-NJBULLY operates Monday – Thursday from 10am- 7pm. Garden State Equality also conducts trainings on harassment, intimidation, bullying and inclusion if you are interested in having us please contact our main office at (973) 509-5428.
Week of Respect 2013 