Anti-Bullying Initiative
New Jersey has long been a leader in developing strong laws, regulations, and programs to prevent, address, and report Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB) in schools. The Jersey City Public Schools strictly prohibits any acts of HIB toward students or staff. Every member of our school community has the right to learn and work in a safe and supportive environment.
To uphold this commitment, each school has a School Safety Team led by the Principal and the Anti-Bullying Specialist (ABS). This team promotes a positive school culture and climate while working to prevent and address bullying behaviors. All suspected HIB incidents must be reported to the school administrator where the incident occurred. The Principal and the ABS will investigate each report and share their findings with the district’s HIB Coordinator.
| Statutes and Regulations |
The following codes can be found at the NJDOE Administrative Code page.
- N.J.A.C. 6A:3, Controversies and Disputes
- N.J.A.C. 6A:16-5.2, Violence Awareness
- N.J.A.C. 6A:16-5.3, Incident Reporting of Violence, Vandalism and Alcohol and other Drug Abuse
- N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.7, Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying
- N.J.A.C. 6A:32, School District Operations
- Information on the ABR
- Resources to support your child
| What is Harassment, Intimidation, or Bullying (HIB)? |
What is Harassment, Intimidation, or Bullying (HIB)?
According to New Jersey law (N.J.S.A. 18A:37-14), HIB means any gesture, written, verbal, physical act, or electronic communication (like a text, post, or email) that is:
- Motivated by a distinguishing characteristic — This means it’s based on something about the student, such as their race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or a mental, physical, or sensory disability, or any other trait that makes the student different.
- Takes place in a school setting — This can happen on school property, on a school bus, at a school event, or even off school grounds if it affects the school environment.
- Causes harm or creates a hostile environment — The behavior must:
- Physically or emotionally harm a student, damage their property, or make them afraid of harm;
- Insult or demean a student or group of students; or
- Create a hostile educational environment that interferes with the student’s ability to learn or feel safe at school.
| Reporting Procedures |
All district employees are required to:
- Verbally report any alleged HIB incident to the Principal or Vice Principal on the same day it is witnessed or when reliable information is received.
- Submit a written report to the Principal and Anti-Bullying Specialist (ABS) within two school days of making the verbal report.
- Reports may also be filed using the district’s online HIB reporting form. Anyone that witnessed or received reliable information regarding an incident of HIB, please click HERE.
These steps help ensure that every concern is taken seriously and addressed quickly to maintain a safe and supportive school environment.
| HIB Reports |
- Click on meetings
- Choose the monthly agenda you're looking for
- Scroll down to Other monthly reports at the bottom of the list and locate Acknowledgment of Receipt of HIB Monthly Report
In accordance with the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act (ABR) (P.L.2010, c.122), the Jersey City Public Schools has posted the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act grades on the district’s HIB webpage and on each individual school’s website.
If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Candace Coccaro, District Anti-Bullying Coordinator.
The New Jersey Department of Education’s School Self-Assessment for Determining Grades provides transparency in how districts and schools are working to meet the requirements of the ABR. Since its implementation, the Jersey City Public Schools has made significant progress in preventing and addressing harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB). Through training, education, and adherence to the law, our schools continue to strengthen positive school culture and climate, protect students, and help parents understand and respond appropriately to HIB-related behaviors.
| Understanding the Grades |
The district’s overall grade is then calculated as the average of all individual school scores within the district.
2023-2024 HIB School Self-Assessment Grades
District/School HIB Self-Assessments Grades
HIB/NON HIB INCIDENTS, VIOLENCE/VANDALISM & SUBSTANCE ABUSE AS REPORTED IN THE STUDENT SAFETY DATA SYSTEM
Reporting Period 1- September to Dec 2024
| Miscellaneous (Please expand each section to read) |
Is it Bullying ? Graphic Organizer
Conflict vs Bullying
Resources