GLEN RIDGE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION POLICY ON BULLYING PREVENTION AND ENFORCEMENT (Effective December 2024)

The Glen Ridge Athletic Association (“GRAA”) believes that all players/participants have a right to a safe and healthy sports environment. The GRAA and GRAA community have an obligation to promote mutual respect, tolerance, and acceptance.

The GRAA will not tolerate behavior that infringes on the safety of any player/participant. A player/participant shall not intimidate, harass, or bully another player/participant through words or actions. Such behavior includes:

• any gesture, any written, verbal or physical act, or any electronic communication, whether it be a single or a series of incidents that is reasonably perceived as being motivated by either any actual or perceived characteristic, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or a mental, physical or sensory disability, or by any other distinguishing characteristic, that substantially disrupts or interferes with the orderly operation of the GRAA activity or the rights of other players/participants and that:
  • a reasonable person should know under the circumstances, will have the effect of physically or emotionally harming a player/participant or damaging the player/participant’s property, or placing a player participant in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm to his/her person or damage his/her property;
  • has the effect of insulting or demeaning any player/participant or group of players/participants;
  • creates a hostile environment for the player/participant by interfering with a player’s/participant’s involvement in the activity or by severely or pervasively causing physical or emotional harm to the player/participant.
• Harassment, Intimidation or Bullying can be:
  • physical- kicking, biting, scratching, tripping, hitting, slapping, pushing/shoving
  • verbal- hurtful teasing, name calling, gossiping, insults, teasing about clothes or looks, spreading rumors, or making threats to secure silence “If you tell, I will…”
  • non-verbal- defacing, damaging or destroying personal property, making threatening gestures, taking small items from others/stealing, playing mean tricks
  • emotional- intentional exclusion or spreading rumors, hate notes or social isolation or manipulation
  • cyber-bullying- spreading hurtful information through email, on-line chats, social networking sites or text and picture messages
  • sexual – unwarranted touching, obscene gestures or comments, exposing oneself

The GRAA expects players/participants and/or parents and/or coaches to immediately report incidents of bullying to a coach, commissioner or GRAA Board member. GRAA coaches, commissioners, board members or parents who witness such acts take immediate steps to intervene when safe to do so. Each complaint of bullying will be investigated. This policy applies to players/participants at GRAA games and practices and while traveling to and from GRAA games, practices and/or activities.

GRAA coaches should discuss this policy with their players/participants in age-appropriate ways and should assure them that they need not endure any form of bullying. Players/participants who bully are in violation of this policy and are subject to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from GRAA sports/activities.
GRAA has adopted a Code of Conduct to be followed by every player/participant while at GRAA games and practices and while traveling to and from GRAA games, practices and/or activities.

The Code of Conduct includes, but is not limited to:

• Any player/participant who engages in bullying may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from GRAA sports/activities.
• Players/participants are expected to immediately report incidents of bullying to a coach, commissioner or board member. Coaches/commissioners must immediately report incidents of bullying to a GRAA Board member.
• Players/participants can rely on GRAA to investigate each complaint of bullying in a thorough and confidential manner.
• If the complainant or the parent of the complainant feels that appropriate resolution of the investigation or complaint has not been reached, the complainant or the parent of the complainant should contact the appropriate authorities.The GRAA prohibits retaliatory behavior against any complainant or any participant in the complaint process.

The procedures for intervening in bullying behavior include, but are not limited to, the following:

• All involved GRAA coaches/commissioners, players/participants and their parents will receive a summary of this policy prohibiting intimidation and bullying at the beginning of the school year/sport season.
• The GRAA will make reasonable efforts to keep a report of bullying and the results of any investigation confidential.
• GRAA coaches/commissioners who witness acts of bullying shall take immediate steps to intervene when safe to do so. Any people witnessing or experiencing bullying are strongly encouraged to report the incident; such reporting will not reflect on the target or witnesses in any way.
• Bullying should be reported to the sport coach, commissioner, the GRAA Board or via email at antibullying@graa.org

INVESTIGATION

• Upon notice of an alleged bullying incident, the GRAA Board will act as swiftly as possible to investigate the allegation.
• The GRAA Board reserves the right to suspend any players/coaches/parents accused of bullying on a case-by-case basis while an investigation is conducted.
• If the GRAA Board investigation yields substantiation that a player/coach/parent has engaged in act(s) of bullying, an initial or further suspension can be issued.
• The GRAA Board has full discretion to investigate the allegation and act in the best interests of the players/participants.