Bullying & Harassment

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Prevention Strategies & Programs
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Definition

As of July 1, 2025, House File 865 defines harassment and bullying as any repeated and targeted electronic, written, verbal, or physical act or conduct toward a student that creates an objectively hostile school environment that meets one or more of the following conditions:

  • Places the student in reasonable fear of harm to the student's person or property
  • Has a substantially detrimental effect on the student's physical or mental health
  • Has the effect of substantially interfering with a student's academic performance
  • Has the effect of substantially interfering with the student's ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by a school

Additional consideration: Bullying and harassment policy must be viewed in conjunction with other relevant laws and policies, including Title VI, Title IX, IDEA, Section 504, Civil Rights, and the Discipline of Students Who Make Threats of Violence or Cause Incidents of Violence.

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Iowa Code 280.28.3 and Iowa Administrative Code 281-12.3(11) require school districts and accredited nonpublic schools to have policies against harassment and bullying, complaint forms and investigative procedures in place. 

As stated in Iowa Code 280.28.3, the board and school authorities shall provide copies of the policies to all school employees, volunteers, students, and parents or guardians. They shall also take all necessary steps to make sure everyone is aware of the policies on harassment and bullying, as well as their responsibilities under them.

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Responsibility of the Iowa Department of Education

The Iowa Department of Education (Department) is responsible to work with the district/school to ensure it is following state and/or federal code, has appropriate policies and procedures in place, and is following them to keep all people safe.

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Responsibilities of Schools and Investigation Process

Bullying and Harassment in Iowa Schools: Responsibilities and Investigation Process - Details the pertinent laws, a sequenced investigation process following a complaint of bullying, and includes sample forms.

Students with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), 504 Plan or Health Plan:

  • Talk with the student’s special education teacher or advisor, the District’s Director of Special Education, 504 Coordinator, and/or the School Nurse to see if any short- or long-term decisions will affect the student’s IEP, health plan, or 504 plan. If they do, set up a meeting with the appropriate individuals as soon as possible.
  • Review pertinent laws and procedures.
    • Review the U.S. Department of Education's Guidance on Bullying and Students with Disabilities (October 2014).
    • Under Section 504 and Title II, schools must address bullying and harassment based on a student’s disability and that interfere with or limit a student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or opportunities offered by a school.
    • If any bullying or harassing behavior interferes with the ability of a student with a disability to access educational services, the situation, if uncorrected, may constitute a FAPE violation.
    • Contact your school’s attorney if you need assistance with the law.
  • Review Bullying and Children and Youth with Disabilities and Special Health Needs
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Resources

Websites

These sites provide reliable information on bullying prevention, student safety and related topics.

For Students & Families

Students and families have an important role for both preventing and responding to bullying.

Reporting Bullying to Schools

  1. Check your district’s handbook and website for the Board’s definition, approved policy and process for reporting bullying and harassment, investigations and determinations (they may be under “board policies”). Note the designated person for any reporting.
  2. Review the definition of Bullying/Harassment as shared above.
  3. Review the Bullying and Harassment in Iowa Schools: Responsibilities and Investigation Process.
  4. Keep a written record of the details of incidents and any communication with the school. Log incidents identifying: location, date, time, what happened, your child’s response, and who was around, including adults.
  5. If you submit a complaint, use the process outlined in your district policy; if they do not offer one you may use this complaint form.
  6. Meet with the school face-to-face in person, if possible, so that emails and/or texts from you or the school are not misinterpreted.
  7. Ask for a safety plan for during the investigation and an on-going communication plan by and between school, parent/guardian and student (if developmentally appropriate) be developed during an in-person meeting. Sample Safety Plan

For Schools

Review your district school board’s bullying policy to ensure it reflects changes to Iowa’s bullying and harassment law effective July 1, 2025. Make sure the policy is posted on your school’s website, included in handbooks and available in school offices where students and families can easily access it.

Review the Bullying and Harassment in Iowa Schools: Responsibilities and Investigation Process.

For School Administrators

School administrators have both the opportunity and responsibility to address bullying in all parts of a student’s school experience. By leading bullying prevention efforts, they can help make the school or district a safer and more positive place to learn. Here are a few things administrators can do:

  1. Verify bullying policies, complaint and investigation process, forms, and listed consequences are easy to find on your website and in student handbooks.
  2. A school official must notify a student’s parents or guardians of a student enrolled in the school district within 24 hours after receiving a report that the student may have been the victim of harassment or bullying.
  3. Consider developing a safety plan for the target and alleged perpetrator. Sample Safety Plan
  4. Respond to bullying reports quickly and conduct investigations promptly, keeping clear documentation.
  5. Communicate with parents or guardians quickly and often if their student is involved. Meeting in person can help improve communication and reduce misunderstandings from emails, calls or other messages.
  6. Close the investigation by providing written communication to the person who filed the complaint. Let them know whether the report was “founded” or “unfounded,” and explain the reason for the decision while protecting everyone’s privacy. Sample Disposition of Complaint Form.
  7. Consider a 3rd party investigator if relationships are strained between school and parent(s)/guardian(s)
  8. Increase adult supervision in hot spots where bullying occurs.
  9. Intervene consistently and appropriately in bullying situations.
  10. Train your staff in bullying prevention. Note: Prevention efforts are most effective when there is ongoing coaching and progress monitoring, rather than one-time events or training.
  11. Focus on improving school-wide positive learning environments
  12. Assess bullying at your school by reviewing available multiple data sources.
  13. Develop a process for student response and feedback to those data and to offer suggestions. (Include students that represent the full range of demographics of your student body.)
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Intra-district Transfer Due to Bullying

Senate File 496 Sec. 18. 279.82 provides that a parent or guardian of a student enrolled in a school district may enroll the student in another attendance center within the same school district that offers classes at the student’s grade level in the manner provided in this section if, as a result of viewing a recording created by a video surveillance system or a report from a school district employee, and consistent with the requirements of the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99), and any regulations promulgated pursuant to that Act, the school district determines that any student enrolled in the school district has harassed or bullied the student.

  • Intradistrict Transfer Request Form - To be used by a parent or guardian when notifying the school district that they intend to enroll the student in another attendance center within the same school district after the school district determines that any student enrolled in the school district has harassed or bullied the student. (Iowa Code 279.82)
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Open Enrollment Due to Bullying

Students who open enroll in grades nine through 12 are not eligible to participate in varsity competitions during the first 90 school days of transfer (not counting summer school). However, any student will be immediately eligible for varsity athletic competitions if the resident district has determined that the student exercising open enrollment was subject to a founded incident of harassment or bullying as defined by Iowa Code 280.28.

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Required Data Reporting

Public and accredited nonpublic schools are required to submit bullying and harassment data to the Department.

All incidents meeting one or more of the following criteria, provided by Iowa’s anti-bullying/harassment law, must be reported: 

  • Conduct placed the student in reasonable fear of harm to the student’s person or property
  • Conduct had a substantially detrimental effect on the student’s physical and mental health
  • Conduct had the effect of substantially interfering with the student’s academic performance
  • Conduct had the effect of substantially interfering with the student’s ability to participate in or benefit from services, activities, or privileges provided by the school 

Bullying Data

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