• Peer Conflict, Bullying, and Harassment

    What is Peer Conflict?

    Conflict is a controversy, quarrel, or struggle between two or more people who appear to have different goals or desires.  It is normal for students to not always agree with each other about what they think or what they want to do.  Often, peer conflicts arise suddenly because students of the same relative amount of power see the same situation from two different points of view.  

    Peer conflict examples:

    • Students call each other names or begin to spread bad rumors about each other because they disagree.
    • Two students working on the yearbook do not agree on the page layout.
    • Two students get into a fight after a bad call during a baseball game.
    • Two students who used to be friends bash each other online daily.
    • Cheerleaders disagree with the cheer captain over a cheer routine.
    • A student athlete believes they should start in a game and the coach does not agree.

    When students are in conflict, the incident is usually two-sided – each student is being aggressive towards the other one. In bullying, it tends to be one-sided.  

    Bullying is different from peer conflict or disagreement. When bullying occurs, one student or a group of students targets other student(s) because they can.  The interaction between students is not about different points of view, it is about arrogance, power, and control.

    What is bullying?

    According to TEC Chapter 37, 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 and that:

    1. 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;
    2. is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive enough that the action or threat creates an intimidating, threatening, or abusive educational environment for a student;
    3. materially and substantially disrupts the educational process or the orderly operation of a classroom or school; or
    4. infringes on the rights of the victim at school; and
    5. includes cyberbullying.”

    Therefore, the two key components of bullying are 1) aggressive behavior and 2) an imbalance of power.

    Aggressive Behavior Component

    Aggressive behavior can be described as one or more students directing aggression towards another student who is unable to stand up for themselves.  In these situations, aggressive behavior is unwanted and unprovoked, leaving the other student feeling emotionally upset and the aggressors receiving satisfaction from their behavior, often with no feelings of regret or remorse.

    Aggressive behavior examples:

    • A student intentionally bumps into another student whenever they pass in the hallway and encourages other students to also bump into the student.
    • A larger student teases a smaller student about their size in front of others.
    • Students make fun of a student’s shoes or taunts the student about their clothes.

    Imbalance of Power Component

    Bullying will create an imbalance of power.  This imbalance may be physical size and power, social status, multiple students “ganging up” on an individual, or a smear campaign using social media to cause emotional harm to someone. It may also be when a student is just vulnerable in some way, making it difficult for that student to defend themselves.

    Imbalance of power examples:

    • A popular student humiliates and repeatedly makes fun of a student of a lower social status.
    • An older student verbally abuses younger students during lunch and does not let them sit where they want.
    • A popular student intimidates other students into doing something they do not want to do.

    When does bullying become harassment?

    Bullying that targets a student based on a student’s race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, religion, or disability is called harassment.  Harassing students based on their race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, or disability can include:

    • Threatening another student because of the student’s race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, religion, or disability
    • Unwelcome conduct such as verbal abuse (e.g. name-calling, racial epithets, racial slurs)
    • Physically assaulting another student because of the student's race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, religion, or disability
    • Graphic or written statements referring to a student’s race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, religion, or disability
    • Any other conduct that targets another student because of the student's race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, religion, or disability

     

    If you believe your student is a victim of teen dating violence, stalking, has been sexually assaulted, has been sexually harassed, or discriminated against, please contact the District Title IX Coordinator at TitleIX@fortbendisd.gov