Literature

  Findings.   All students have the right to attend public schools that are safe, secure and peaceful environments. The Legislature finds that bullying and cyberbullying have a negative effect on the school environment and student learning and well-being. These behaviors must be addressed to ensure student safety and an inclusive learning environment. Bullying may be motivated by a student's actual or perceived race; color; religion; national origin; ancestry or ethnicity; sexual orientation; socioeconomic status; age; physical, mental, emotional or learning disability; gender; gender identity and expression; physical appearance; weight; family status; or other distinguishing personal characteristics or may be based on association with another person identified with such a characteristic.

2.  Definitions.   As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.

A.  "Alternative discipline" means disciplinary action other than suspension or expulsion from school that is designed to correct and address the root causes of a student's specific misbehavior while retaining the student in class or school, or restorative school practices to repair the harm done to relationships and persons from the student's misbehavior. "Alternative discipline" includes, but is not limited to:

(1) Meeting with the student and the student's parents;

(2) Reflective activities, such as requiring the student to write an essay about the student's misbehavior;

(3) Mediation when there is mutual conflict between peers, rather than one-way negative behavior, and when both parties freely choose to meet;

(4) Counseling;

(5) Anger management;

(6) Health counseling or intervention;

(7) Mental health counseling;

(8) Participation in skills building and resolution activities, such as social-emotional cognitive skills building, resolution circles and restorative conferencing;

(9) Community service; and

(10) In-school detention or...