Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB)

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Open to all school district staff, join for school safety hot topics and Q&A time.

First Monday at 9:00-10:00 a.m.

Third Monday at 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Useful Links and Materials

Contacts

Garaline Tom
Student Safety and Belonging Program Supervisor
360-725-6068

Every student has the right to a safe and supportive learning environment free from harassment, intimidation, and bullying.

Definition of HIB

Under RCW 28A.600.477, Washington State defines Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying as any intentional electronic, written, verbal, or physical act including, but not limited to, one shown to be motivated by any distinguishing characteristic when the intentional electronic, written, verbal, or physical act:

Physically harms a student or damages the student's property;
Has the effect of substantially interfering with a student's education;
Is so severe, persistent, or pervasive that it creates an intimidating or threatening educational environment; or
Has the effect of substantially disrupting the orderly operation of the school
The affected student is not required to actually possess a characteristic that is a basis for the harassment, intimidation, or bullying.

(RCW References: RCW 28A.600.477; RCW 28A.640.010; RCW 28A.642.010)

How to File a HIB Complaint

If you believe harassment, intimidation, or bullying has occurred, you can make an informal report to a school staff or administrator, file a formal complaint using your district’s reporting form, or contact your district HIB Compliance Officer. Formal HIB reporting forms are often available on your school district’s webpage and may be submitted in addition to any previous informal verbal or written reports of HIB.

If you believe the HIB complaint involves discrimination or discriminatory harassment, refer to the section below on HIB vs. Discriminatory Harassment, visit OSPI’s Equity and Civil Rights page on Complaints and Concerns About Discrimination, or contact your District Equity Compliance Coordinator.

If the complaint involves HIB experienced during a Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) event, including on court/field interactions between a coach, official, participant, or crowd, you can file a complaint to Address Discriminatory Behavior with the WIAA.

Please note: state guidance does not enable OSPI to investigate concerns for non-discriminatory harassment, intimidation, or bullying.

Complaints Concerning Staff

The HIB complaint process only applies to student-against-student acts. For concerns involving staff, refer to the Student & Family FAQs section below or visit OSPI’s Office of Professional Practices for more information.

General HIB Guidance

Legislation and Background

The 2019 Legislature passed Substitute Senate Bill 5698, a Washington state law that prohibits harassment, intimidation, or bullying (HIB) in our schools.

RCW 28A.600.477 defines harassment, intimidation or bullying as any intentionally written message or image-including those that are electronically transmitted-verbal, or physical act, including but not limited to one shown to be motivated by race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, including gender expression or identity, mental or physical disability or other distinguishing characteristics, when an act:

Physically harms a student or damages the student's property.
Has the effect of substantially interfering with a student's education.
Is so severe, persistent or pervasive that it creates an intimidating or threatening educational environment.
Has the effect of substantially disrupting the orderly operation of the school.

Schools are required to take action if students report they are being bullied. Since August 2011, each school district has been required to adopt the model Washington anti-bullying policy and procedure.

By January 31, 2020, each school district must adopt or amend a policy and procedure prohibiting harassment, intimidation, and bullying of any student that, at a minimum, incorporates the model policy and procedure 3207 / 3207P developed by the Washington State School Directors' Association (WSSDA).

WAC 392-405-020, School district rules defining harassment, intimidation and bullying prevention policies and procedures—Distribution of rules
RCW 28A.600.477, Prohibition of harassment, intimidation, and bullying
RCW 28A.642.080, Transgender student policy and procedure

RCW 28A.300.286 requires each Washington school district to publish OSPI’s model student handbook language in handbooks and on websites starting in the 2024–25 school year to notify the school community of district policies and procedures related to harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB); discrimination; sexual harassment; and gender-inclusive schools.

HIB vs. Discriminatory Harassment

Discrimination is the unfair or unequal treatment of a person or group because they are part of a protected class.

Protected classes in Washington are race, color, national origin, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, use of a service animal, and veteran or military status.

Harassing conduct or communication becomes a form of discrimination when it:

1. Is based on or motivated by protected class; and

2. Creates a hostile environment.

A “hostile environment” is created when conduct or communication is so severe, persistent, or pervasive that it affects a student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the school’s programs, services, or activities.

If a written report of harassment, intimidation, or bullying of a student indicates a potential violation of the district’s nondiscrimination policy / procedure 3210, or if the district becomes aware of a potential violation of the district’s nondiscrimination policy during a HIB investigation, the compliance officer must promptly notify the district’s civil rights compliance coordinator.

If you believe a HIB complaint involves discrimination or discriminatory harassment, refer to OSPI’s Equity and Civil Rights page on Complaints and Concerns About Discrimination or contact your District Equity Compliance Coordinator.

Model Policy and Procedure

3207/3207P Prohibition of Harassment Intimidation and Bullying

Sample Forms

State sample forms:

HIB Guidance for School & District

District HIB Compliance Officers

Under RCW 28A.600.477, every school district must designate one person as the HIB Compliance Officer who will act as the primary contact regarding the anti-harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB) policy.

Find your Compliance Officer on the HIB Compliance Officer Contact List.

In compliance with RCW 28A.600.477, and model procedure 3207P, the HIB Compliance Officer must:

Attend at least one training class developed by OSPI (see Required Training section below).
Ensure the implementation of the policy and procedure prohibiting harassment, intimidation, and bullying by overseeing the investigative processes, including ensuring that investigations are prompt, impartial, and thorough.
Receive copies of all formal and informal complaints relating to harassment, intimidation, or bullying.
Provide support and assistance to the principal or designee in resolving complaints.
Be familiar with the use of the student information system. The compliance officer may use this information to identify patterns of behavior and areas of concern.
Communicate with the school district employees responsible for monitoring school district compliance with chapter 28A.642 RCW prohibiting discrimination in public schools, and the primary contact regarding the school district's policies and procedures related to transgender students under RCW 28A.642.080.
Assess the training needs of staff and students to ensure successful implementation throughout the district, and ensure staff receive annual fall training.
In cases where, despite school efforts, a targeted student experiences harassment, intimidation, or bullying that threatens the student's health and safety, the compliance officer will facilitate a meeting between district staff and the child's parents/guardians to develop a safety plan to protect the student.
Serve as the primary contact between the school district, the office of the education ombuds, and the office of the superintendent of public instruction on the policy and procedure prohibiting harassment, intimidation, and bullying.
Provide the OSPI School Safety Center with notification of policy, procedure, and program updates on an annual basis, as required by RCW 28A.300.286 (see Annual HIB Program Summary Data Collection section below).

Districts, do you have a new compliance officer? Please update their contact information here

Required Compliance Officer Training

Under RCW 28A.600.477, the HIB Compliance Officer must attend at least one training class developed by OSPI.

The training must be based on the model policy and procedure prohibiting harassment, intimidation, and bullying, and include materials related to hazing and the Washington state school directors' association model transgender student policy and procedure as provided in RCW 28A.642.080.

Find upcoming training opportunities and dates on pdEnroller.

Looking for ongoing guidance, collaborative support, and resources?

Compliance Officers and other district staff can join monthly School Safety Center Office Hours hosted by OSPI & regional ESD Safety Center representatives. Office Hours are question-and-answer style and breakout rooms are available for confidential topics. Sign up for School Safety Center Office Hours.

Annual HIB Program Summary Data Collection

RCW 28A.600.477 requires OSPI to collect and publish a brief summary of each school district’s policies, procedures, programs, partnerships, vendors, and instructional and training materials prohibiting harassment, intimidation, and bullying.

You can download the file containing the most recent district program summaries here: District HIB Program Summaries (23-24).

Districts, please keep HIB compliance officer information up to date on the District HIB Compliance Officer Contact List to ensure annual data collection notifications are delivered to the correct point of contact.

Model Student Handbook Language & Annual Notice Requirements

School districts must share the policy and procedure prohibiting harassment, intimidation, and bullying with parents or guardians, students, volunteers, and school employees. This requirement as it relates to students, parents, and guardians may be satisfied by using the model student handbook language in RCW 28A.300.286.

Model procedure 3207P requires districts to take enact the following HIB prevention measures:

1. Dissemination

a. In each school and on the district’s website the district will prominently post information on reporting harassment, intimidation, or bullying; the name and contact information for making a report to a school administrator; and the name and contact information for the district compliance officer. The district’s policy and procedure will be available in each school in a language that families can understand.

b. Annually, the superintendent will ensure that a statement summarizing the policy and procedure is provided in student, staff, volunteer, and parent handbooks, is available in school and district offices and/or hallways or is posted on the district’s website.

c. Additional distribution of the policy and procedure is subject to the requirements of chapter 392-405 WAC.

2. Education

a. Annually, students will receive age-appropriate information on the recognition and prevention of harassment, intimidation, or bullying at student orientation sessions and on other appropriate occasions. The information will include a copy of the Incident Reporting Form or a link to a web-based process.

3. Training

a. The district compliance officer will participate in at least one mandatory training opportunity offered by OSPI.

b. Staff will receive annual training on the school district’s policy and procedure, including at a minimum, staff roles and responsibilities, how to monitor common areas and the use of the district’s Incident Reporting Form.

4. Prevention Strategies

a. The district will implement a range of prevention strategies including individual, classroom, school, and district-level approaches.

b. Whenever possible, the district will implement evidence-based prevention programs that are designed to increase social competency, improve school climate, and eliminate harassment, intimidation, and bullying in schools.

Model Student Handbook Language

RCW 28A.300.286 requires each Washington school district to publish OSPI’s model student handbook language in handbooks and on websites to notify the school community of district policies and procedures related to harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB); discrimination; sexual harassment; and gender-inclusive schools.

Starting in the 2024–25 school year, each school district must include OSPI’s model handbook language in the following publications:

Any student, parent, employee, and volunteer handbook that the school district or any of its schools publishes;
The school district’s website, if the district maintains a website; and
Each school’s website, if a school maintains a website.

The model student handbook language also includes placeholders for district-specific information, including coordinator contact information and links to the school district’s policies and procedures.

School districts should publish this information in handbooks and on websites in locations that families and staff may easily navigate to or find.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What if a school district does not publish a handbook or have a website?

If a school district does not publish a handbook or maintain a website, it must provide the model student handbook language to each student, parent, employee, and volunteer at least annually.

School districts should use a notification method that is reasonably calculated to reach all students, parents, employees, and volunteers—such as a newsletter or handout provided to all students, employees, and volunteers—and should maintain documentation of this annual notice.

Can the handbook language be modified?

Each school district should update the model handbook language to include district-specific information, including coordinator contact information and links to policies and procedures. The model handbook language includes placeholders for this district-specific information.

A school district may not remove any content from the model handbook language. It is permissible, however, for a school district to modify the formatting of the handbook language to meet its own style or formatting needs. However, any formatting change should not impact the readability of the handbook language, such as using very small font.

It is also permissible for a school district to add additional information or resources regarding its anti-HIB, nondiscrimination, or gender-inclusive schools efforts. However, any additional information must be consistent with state law and OSPI rules and guidelines.

Resources for Schools & Districts

Explore the following resources including background information, best practice materials for program planning, classroom implementation, staff training, and additional resources for HIB prevention and intervention.

Steps to Effective Bullying Prevention/Intervention: Readiness, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainability – developed by the Washington State Anti-Bullying Work Group established in House Bill 1163, this tool helps districts and schools identify curriculum and best practices for school districts to improve school climate, create respectful learning environments, train staff and students in de-escalation and intervention techniques, and incorporate instruction about mental health, youth suicide prevention, and the prevention of bullying and harassment. The template includes a “self-check rubric” to support implementation preparations.

Best Practices Checklist – a tool to support the selection of best practice anti-HIB resources for implementation and professional development planning.

Stopbullying.gov - managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Stopbullying.gov provides resources for schools and families to teach how “parents, school staff, and other adults in the community can help kids prevent bullying by talking about it, building a safe school environment, and creating a community-wide bullying prevention strategy.”

Center on PBIS | Bullying Prevention – The Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) looks at bullying prevention through a tiered framework. This resource provides tools, publications, presentations, and videos, including:

Creating a Safe and Respectful Environment in Our Nation’s Classrooms - This training toolkit from the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE) is made up of two modules that address bullying in classrooms. Developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education and Office of Safe and Supportive Schools to the American Institutes for Research (AIR), it is designed for trainers to assist teachers in cultivating meaningful relationships with students while creating a positive climate in the classroom.

Webinar: Harassment, Intimidation, & Bullying: Behavior Support Strategies – In the October 2024 Graduation Equity Webinar, OSPI staff and guest speakers present behavior support strategies that have shown to be effective towards the proactive prevention of bullying. Additional resources were included in the webinar slide deck, Care Package, and Resources Page.

HIB Guidance for Students & Families

Contact Your District HIB Compliance Officer

If parents, students, school staff, or community members have questions or concerns about harassment, intimidation, or bullying happening at school, a discussion with the district HIB Compliance Officer can help address your concerns.

Find your district’s Compliance Officer on the HIB Compliance Officer Contact List.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

1. Does OSPI investigate reports of HIB?

No, state law does not enable OSPI to investigate concerns for non-discriminatory harassment, intimidation, or bullying.

If the HIB involves a protected class, please refer to guidance by the Equity and Civil Rights office regarding Complaints and Concerns About Discrimination or contact your District Equity Compliance Coordinator.

2. Can I make an anonymous HIB report?

Yes, individuals may file a report without revealing their identity, however, no disciplinary action can be taken against an alleged aggressor based solely on an anonymous report.

Refer to your district’s school board policy and procedure 3207 on Prohibiting Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying for additional information on how to make a HIB report anonymously, confidentially, or non-confidentially.

3. I’ve made a HIB report but feel like nothing has been done. What can I do?

Whenever possible, staff who initially receive a verbal or written report of harassment, intimidation, or bullying of a student will attempt to resolve the incident immediately. If you are seeking an update on the resolution of a HIB complaint, you can take one of the following steps:

Contact your district HIB Compliance Officer who can provide support as the primary district contact for HIB complaints and process compliance.
Submit a formal HIB complaint using your district’s HIB reporting form. These are often available on your district webpage and can be submitted in addition to any previous informal verbal or written HIB complaints.
Refer to your district’s school board policy and procedure 3207 on Prohibiting Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying. These documents will provide local guidance on the steps and processes the district must comply with, including mandatory investigation timelines and notification requirements.

While the district must take prompt and equitable corrective measures to address HIB, the school may not be able to share specific disciplinary action taken against a student due to legal confidentiality of student records protections under FERPA. Corrective measures that involve student discipline will be implemented according to district policy and procedure 3241 on Student Discipline.

4. Can I appeal a HIB decision?

Appeal Rights for Complainant

Under district policy and procedure 3207, if the complainant who filed a HIB report is dissatisfied with the results of the investigation, they may appeal to the superintendent/designee by filing a written notice of appeal within five school days of receiving the written HIB investigation decision. The superintendent/designee will review the investigative report and must issue a written decision of the appeal within five school days of receiving the notice of appeal.

If the complainant remains dissatisfied after the initial appeal to the superintendent/designee, they may appeal to the school board by filing a written notice of appeal with the secretary of the school board on or before the fifth school day following the date the complainant received the superintendent’s written decision.

Appeal Rights for Aggressor

If a student is found to have violated district policy 3207 on Prohibiting Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying, the accused aggressor may appeal the imposition of discipline under district policy and procedure 3241 on Student Discipline.

There are no additional appeal rights for reported aggressors under district policy and procedure 3207.

5. How do I make a HIB report against an adult?

The HIB complaint process only provides guidance for student-against-student acts of harassment, intimidation, or bullying. Complaints involving staff must be addressed through a separate, district-established process. We encourage communicating with staff directly to resolve initial concerns when possible.

Guidance for making a complaint against staff can be found in district school board policy and procedure 4220 on Addressing Complaints Concerning Staff, or by contacting the district's human resources department.

For additional information, or if the complaint is unable to be resolved at the district level, refer to OSPI’s Office of Professional Practices (OPP).

Resources for Students & Families

Crisis Support: 988 | Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

988 is the new, three-digit dialing code that connects people via call, text, or chat, to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL). Compassionate, accessible care and support are available for anyone experiencing mental health-related distress. Call services are available with interpretation services in over 150 languages.

Education Ombuds – under RCW 43.06B.060, the Washington State Governor's Office of the Education Ombuds serves as the lead agency to provide resources and tools to parents and families about public school antiharassment policies and strategies. Learn more about how they work with families and schools.

Center for Disease Control - Preventing bullying is part of the CDC’s Youth Violence Prevention programming. They provide quick facts and stats, warning signs and outcomes, and prevention resources for schools and families.