Introduction			Our Initiatives			Take Action

Bullying and Harassment

One moment please...

Problems viewing the video? Try: http://vimeo.com/29113035

The Hawaii State Department of Education is committed to providing a safe and enjoyable learning atmosphere for students, families and educators.  As part of this commitment, the DOE has employed a host of initiatives to prevent bullying and harassment in schools.

Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance (examples include actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose). The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems.

Bullying can occur during or after school hours. While most reported bullying happens at school, a significant percentage also happens in places like on the playground or the bus. It can also happen travelling to or from school, in the youth’s neighborhood, or on the Internet.

As citizens of Hawaii, we must all do our part to prevent and eliminate bullying. Improving the schools and communities in which we live is a shared responsibility.