The faculty and staff at Davies are committed to maintaining a safe and positive school climate for all students. Bullying and cyberbullying won't be tolerated, and all such reports of this kind of behavior will be investigated. Those found responsible for engaging in such conduct will be held accountable in accordance with district policy prohibiting bullying and cyberbullying.

District Policy

The RI Safe Schools Act defines what constitutes bullying and cyberbullying. The law also outlines the purview of the school. This information has been shared below. The full law can be found by clicking here.  

BULLYING means the use by one or more students of a written, verbal or electronic expression or a physical act or gesture or any combination thereof directed at a student that:

a. Causes physical or emotional harm to the student or damage to the student's property;

b. Places the student in reasonable fear of harm to himself/herself or of damage to his/her property;

c. Creates an intimidating, threatening, hostile, or abusive educational environment for the student;

d. Infringes on the rights of the student to participate in school activities; or

e. Materially and substantially disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a school.

The expression, physical act or gesture may include, but is not limited to, an incident or incidents that may be reasonably perceived as being motivated by characteristics such as: Race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression or mental, physical, or sensory disability, intellectual ability or by any other distinguishing characteristic. Bullying most often occurs as repeated behavior and often is not a single incident between the bullying/cyber‐bullying offender(s) and the bullying victim(s).

CYBER‐BULLYING means bullying through the use of technology or any electronic communication, which shall include, but not be limited to, any transfer of signs, signals, writing, images, sounds, data, texting or intelligence of any nature transmitted in whole or in part by a wire, radio, electromagnetic, photo electronic or photo optical system, including, but not limited to, electronic mail, Internet communications, instant messages or facsimile communications. Forms of cyber‐bullying may include but are not limited to: a. The creation of a web page or blog in which the creator assumes the identity of another person; b. The knowing impersonation of another person as the author of posted content or messages; or c. The distribution by electronic means of a communication to more than one person or the posting of materials on an electronic medium that may be accessed by one or more persons, if the creation, impersonation, or distribution results in any of the conditions enumerated in clauses (a) to (e) of the definition of bullying.

AT SCHOOL means:

a. on school premises,

b. at any school‐sponsored activity or event whether or not it is held on school premises,

c. on a school‐transportation vehicle,

d. at an official school bus stop,

e. using property or equipment provided by the school, or

f. acts which create a material and substantial disruption of the education process or the orderly operation of the school.

For additional resources related to bullying and/or cyberbullying, visit the Rhode Island Department of Education's website.