Anti-Bullying Statement
At Congregation Beth Elohim (CBE) we have no tolerance for bullying of any kind. We train our staff to identify bullying, and report such incidences immediately to the administration, who will address those on a case by case basis. We also talk to our students about bullying, what to do when they feel they are being bullied, what to do when they witness bullying, and how bullying has no place at CBE.
Our challenge at CBE is to teach our campers what to do when they feel they are being bullied, and what to do when they see somebody else being bullied. We help them develop their own “voice” so that they will speak up and seek help. We also teach campers how to respond to the unpleasant situations that may not be classified as “bullying,” and how to differentiate between the two.
What is bullying?
Bullying is when one person deliberately and repeatedly intimidates or harms another.
Bullying can appear in many different ways:
- Physical: hitting, kicking, shoving, mean hand gestures
- Verbal: teasing, taunting, name calling, threatening remarks, spreading rumors
- Indirect: excluding or intentionally leaving a person out, getting someone else to bully another person, gossiping
- Cyber: using technology to threaten, insult or harass
What is not bullying?
Sometimes students confuse other behaviors with bullying. No doubt, students will say things to one another which can be mean or hurtful, and whether these things are said intentionally or unintentionally, they still hurt. No doubt students will push one another in play or shove to be first in line. Here too, whether these behaviors are intentional or unintentional, they still hurt. However, sometimes children use poor judgment and say mean things, and sometimes they push one another, but these actions don’t make them bullies. Only when these behaviors are repeated again and again, and targeted at the same child, is it bullying.