Harassment Policies and Procedures
It is the policy of American International School that students and employees must be allowed to work and learn in an environment free from harassment. Any form of harassment is expressly prohibited and will not be tolerated.
Harassment
Harassment is defined as verbal or physical conduct that (1) threatens, insults, demeans or abuses a person (2) because of his or her race, color, religion, ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation or associations, or mental or physical disabilities, and (3) unreasonably interferes with the person's work or academic performance that creates an intimidating and hostile offence while in the working environment.
Any person who believes he or she has been the victim of harassment should report the alleged acts immediately to the Counselor, Principal or Director
• The Counselor, Principal or Director will investigate the complaint in an immediate, appropriate and equitable manner and respond to the student and/or parent in a reasonable amount of time.
If a teacher, administrator or other staff person knows that harassment is or may be occurring during school or at school-sponsored activities; he or she must take immediate steps to stop the harassment and report their findings to the Administration.
ANTI-BULLYING POLICY
Bullying is considered to be aggressive behavior and will be dealt with in accordance to the conduct policy.
Mutual respect forms the foundation for interpersonal behavior expectations at the American International School of Costa Rica. AIS takes the responsibility of creating a safe, caring learning environment very seriously. While less-than-polite interaction between peers is a fairly common part of life, it is something we expect students to overcome. More severe types of negative interactions, such as bullying, are not tolerated at AIS.
Bullying can be defined as the use of one's strength or status to intimidate, injure, or humiliate another person of lesser strength or status. Typically, it is repeated over time and takes place out of the view of supervising adults. Bullying can be categorized as physical, verbal, social/emotional, or cyber.
Pressure/ Unfair treatment due to bullying is associated with student absenteeism, poorer academic achievement, social isolation, and internalizing problems resulting in depression and stress. Research shows that bullying can have lasting adverse effects on children, however carefully implemented school programs can substantially reduce bullying.
American International School of Costa Rica views bullying seriously. The principle aim is to foster an atmosphere where bullying is discouraged and is seen as inappropriate. Children are not expected to tolerate bullying or to suffer in silence. They will be encouraged to disclose problems in an environment in which they feel safe and have confidence. Early intervention is important if behavior is to be changed.
American International School of Costa Rica expects students, staff and parents to immediately report incidents of bullying to the Principal or Director. Staff is expected to immediately intervene when they see a bullying incident occur. Each complaint of bullying will be promptly investigated. This policy applies to students on school grounds, while traveling to and from school or on school-sponsored activities, whether on or off campus.