4-H Nova Scotia does not condone nor will it tolerate bullying.
The consequences to persons who are found to have engaged in confirmed bullying, and therefore to have breached 4-H Nova Scotia Code of Conduct will receive a warning not to repeat the behaviour. Further breaches will result in measures up to and including expulsion from 4-H Nova Scotia.
Bullying has three elements: aggression, a power differential and repetition. Bullying is willful, repeated, aggressive behaviour with negative intent used to maintain power over another. The result is a victim caught in an abusive relationship.
- Unequal Power: One who has more power than another person (or it seems this way to the person involved)
- Hurtful actions: Physically or psychologically harmful behaviour takes place (such as name-calling, insults, threats, kicking, hitting, punching, etc)
- Direct or indirect actions: The abusive behaviour may be face-to-face or done behind a person’s back (such as teasing, exclusion, gossiping and spreading rumours)
- Repetitive behaviour: The hurtful actions keep happening so the person being affected finds it increasingly difficult to escape.
- Cyber Bullying: Cyberbullying means any electronic communication through the use of technology including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, computers, other electronic devices, social networks, text messaging, instant messaging, websites and electronic mail, typically repeated or with the continuing effect that is intended or ought reasonably to be expected to cause fear, intimidation, humiliation, distress or other damage or harm to another person’s health, emotional well-being, self-esteem or reputation, and includes assisting or encouraging communication in any way.
“Cyber-bullying” means electronic communication, direct or indirect, that causes or is likely to cause harm to another individual’s health or well-being where a person responsible for the communication maliciously intended to cause harm to another individual’s health or well-being or was reckless with regard to the risk of harm to another individual’s health or well-being, and may include:
- creating a webpage, blog or profile in which the creator assumes the identity of another person.
- impersonating another person as the author of content or a message.
- disclosure of sensitive personal facts or breach of confidence.
- threats, intimidation or menacing conduct.
- communications that are grossly offensive, indecent or obscene.
- communications that are harassment.
- making a false allegation
- communications that incite or encourage another person to commit suicide
- communications that denigrate another person because of any prohibited ground of discrimination listed in Section 5 of the Human Rights Act, or
- communications that incite or encourage another person to do any of the foregoing.
