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Bullying & Harassment Prevention in LBUSD

Long Beach Unified School District believes that all students have a right to a safe, supportive and healthy school environment free from bullying and harassment. The district is committed to promote mutual respect, tolerance, and acceptance within our school system by implementing bullying prevention procedures that encourage students to be kind, respectful and supportive with one another. Anti-bullying and conflict resolution resources are provided and easily accessible to all students, staff and parents/caregivers. 

The State of California defines bullying as follows:  

"Bullying" means any severe or pervasive physical or verbal act or conduct, including communications made in writing or by means of an electronic act, and including one or more acts committed by a pupil or group of pupils as defined in Section 48900.248900.3, or 48900.4, directed toward one or more pupils that has or can be reasonably predicted to have the effect of one or more of the following: 

  1. Placing a reasonable pupil or pupils in fear of harm to that pupil's or those pupils' person or property. 
  2. Causing a reasonable pupil to experience a substantially detrimental effect on the pupil's physical or mental health. 
  3. Causing a reasonable pupil to experience substantial interference with the pupil's academic performance. 
  4. Causing a reasonable pupil to experience substantial interference with the pupil's ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by a school. 

Bullying is unwanted, harassment, intimidation, a hazing or initiation activity, ridicule, extortion, or any other verbal, written, electronic communication, or physical conduct, repeated over time, that causes or threatens to cause bodily harm or emotional suffering, creates a hostile learning environment, or disrupts the normal operation of a school, classroom, or school related activity. The behavior is repeated over time. Bullying behavior includes: 

  • An Imbalance of Power: Kids who bully use their power—such as physical strength, access to embarrassing information, or popularity—to control or harm others. Power imbalances can change over time and in different situations, even if they involve the same people. 
  • Repetition: Bullying behaviors are pervasive, that is , the bullying acts happen more than once over time. 
  • Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, ridiculing and excluding someone from a group on purpose. 

Bullying Prevention Brochure


Bullying Prevention Brochure

How You Should Respond to Bullying Behavior: 

How You Should Respond to Bullying Behavior: 

  • If you or someone you know has been a victim of suspected bullying, report these instances to a teacher, counselor, school administrator, or other trusted adult as soon as possible. 
  • If you experience bullying, some immediate steps you can take include walking away or telling the aggressor to stop in a firm, but calm way. 
  • If you witness bullying behavior, be more than just a bystander. Only intervene if it is safe to do so. Peer- to-Peer early intervention is proven to be effective in reducing bullying. 
  • In a moment of bullying, a safe way someone can help the person being bullied can include creating a distraction to help focus the attention on something else. 
  • If you are the target of cyberbullying: 
    • Save evidence by taking screen shots or keeping copies of bullying texts, emails, or other communications 
    • Don’t respond! Tell a teacher, counselor, supervisor, school administrator, or other trusted adult as soon as possible 
    • Block the aggressors from your social media, email, or other social networking pages 

Students who engage in bullying/cyberbullying on campus, traveling to or from school, at school activities, or in a manner otherwise related to school attendance, may be subject to disciplinary procedures. A student may be subject to disciplinary action for off-campus expressions (including via electronic means), when such expressions are obscene, libelous, or slanderous, or when such expression poses a threat to the safety of other students, staff or school property, or disrupts the educational program. Education Codes 32261(f) (g), 48900, 48900.2, 48900.3, 48900.4, 48910, 48911, 48915, 48915.5, 48918, 48918.5 

For more information on bullying, please see the resources on this web page. 

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Types of Bullying 

There are different types of bullying: 

  • Verbal bullying is saying or writing mean things. Verbal bullying includes: 
    • Teasing 
    • Name-calling 
    • Inappropriate sexual comments 
    • Taunting 
    • Threatening to cause harm 
  • Social bullying, sometimes referred to as relational bullying, involves hurting someone’s reputation or relationships. Social bullying includes: 
    • Leaving someone out on purpose 
    • Telling other children not to be friends with someone 
    • Spreading rumors about someone 
    • Embarrassing someone in public 
  • Physical bullying involves hurting a person’s body or possessions. Physical bullying includes: 
    • Hitting/kicking/pinching 
    • Spitting 
    • Tripping/pushing 
    • Taking or breaking someone’s things 
    • Making mean or rude hand gestures 
    • Throwing things at someone 
  • Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets.  
    • Cyberbullying can occur through emailing, texting or messaging online through social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content.  
    • Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else.  
    • It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. 

More Information

Statewide Bullying Prevention Website Resources


Bullying Prevention Resources


Social Media & Cyberbullying


Possible Forums for Social Media/Cyberbullying

Parents/Caregivers can monitor social media accounts.


District Policies


Local and Community Based Resources


Resources for Non-discrimination


Resources for Youth Affected by Gangs


Anti-Bullying Videos