Bullying Prevention and Resources

What is Bullying?

According to the Texas Education Code of Conduct (Education Code 37.0832), Bullying is a single significant act or a pattern of acts by one or more students directed at another student that exploits an imbalance of power and involves engaging in written or verbal expression, expression through electronic means, or physical conduct that satisfies the applicability requirements that:

• Has the effect or will have the effect of physically harming a student, damaging a student’s property, or placing a student in reasonable fear of harm to the student’s person or of damage to the student’s property;
• Is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive enough that the action or threat creates an intimidating, threatening, or abusive educational environment for a student;
• Materially and substantially disrupts the educational process or the orderly operation of a classroom or school; or
• Infringes on the rights of the victim at school

These provisions apply to:

• Bullying that occurs on or is delivered to school property or to the site of a school-sponsored or school-related activity on or off school property;
• Bullying that occurs on an SFISD school bus or vehicle being used for transportation of students to or from school or a school-sponsored or school-related activity; and
• Cyberbullying that occurs off school property or outside of a school-sponsored or school-related activity if the cyberbullying:
  • Interferes with a student’s educational opportunities; or substantially disrupts the orderly operation of a classroom, school, or school-sponsored or school-related activity.

Santa Fe ISD utilizes the Texas State University School Safety Center flowchart to assist school administrators in determining whether or not an incident qualifies as bullying.

Texas State Flowcharts