Bullying

Bullying

Bullying is a serious matter. It can have devastating effect on children and adults. Bullying can occur at school, neighborhoods, and workplace. It can also be by means of the computer, phone, and in person. There are and can be legal consequences to those doing the bullying or who are not responding to the bullying.

From a legal perspective, bullying is defined as verbal, physical, or mental acts committed by a student to harass, intimidate, or cause harm to another individual.

School Bullying

Bullying is a serious matter. It can have devastating effect on children and adults. Bullying can occur at school, neighborhoods, and workplace. It can also be by means of the computer, phone, and in person. There are and can be legal consequences to those doing the bullying or who are not responding to the bullying.

If your child is being bullied at school, you can take the following actions:

• Make a complaint to the school. The next step is to contact your child’s teacher or principal and explain the circumstances surrounding the initial behavior. Depending on the situation, it is important to put in writing the date, details and nature of the incident being complained about.
• Keep a detailed record of all accounts. It is also important that you keep detailed, accurate records of any additional incidents that may occur, and the response received from the school. Be sure to include statements made by your child and any other potential witnesses, as well as an account of how your child felt emotionally.
• Speak to the school’s guidance counselor, if there is one. Ask whether the school has a contact person trained to deal with bullying and, if so, set up a meeting with them and your child.
• Refer to the school’s code of conduct to make sure the school is doing what it is required to do to prevent acts of violence, such as bullying.
• Seek legal advice from an attorney. Finally, if the school or district has not provided a reasonable solution, it may be necessary to speak with an attorney as soon as possible about your situation. Lawyers specializing in cases involving bullying can help victims and their families pursue legal claims against schools and/or parents who are not working to prevent the problem from occurring.

Cyberbullying

As technology expands so does bullying. Cyberbullying is harassment or intimidation which happens over internet and social media channels. For instance, this can involve flooding person’s social network page with cruel remarks intended to cause the person distress. It can also involve other channels, such as distributing inappropriate or offensive pictures of the person through mass text messages.

Your Identity is Protected!

If you have been the victim of bullying and are concerned that your identity in connection to the crime will be made public, it is very important you to know that you have rights.

If you are a minor, your true identity will not be disclosed or discussed in court or settlement documents. You will be referred to as “John Doe” or “Jane Doe” or a similar name. If you are an adult, you can also proceed in a lawsuit under a pseudonym.

Rest assured that The Law Offices of John Christl will protect your confidentiality, your security, and your safety, by representing you in any legal proceedings.

If you suspect you or your child is being bullied, please contact us for a consultation. The Law Office of John Christl will help you determine which parties may be held liable, and whether any options for legal remedies are available. Also, we will be able to represent you during court hearings if you need to file a lawsuit.

Our office is located in Newport Beach, California. We serve Orange County, Los Angeles County, San Diego County, Riverside County, Ventura County, Santa Barbara County, and San Bernardino County.