Website Manager

Lunenburg Youth Soccer Association

LYSA POLICIES

LYSA Bullying Policy

LYSA has a ZERO TOLERANCE bullying policy and is committed to each player's success in learning soccer within a caring, responsive, and safe environment that is free of discrimination, violence, and bullying. LYSA works to ensure that all players have the opportunity and support to develop to their fullest potential and share a personal and meaningful bond with the other players on their teams. 


Bullying can take place in person, in texts, and online - cyber bullying. 

Types of bullying include the following:
Teasing
Name-calling
Inappropriate sexual comments
Taunting
Threatening to cause harm
Leaving someone out on purpose
Telling other children not to be friends with someone
Spreading rumors about someone
Embarrassing someone in public
Hitting/kicking/pinching
Spitting
Tripping/pushing
Taking or breaking someone’s things
Making mean or rude hand gestures


What to do if you are/see someone harassed, bullied, intimidated, or humiliated by the words, actions or printed/posted statements of another player or players. 
1. Tell them to STOP, then, talk to an adult immediately (coach, parent).
2. If you witness any of this behavior toward another player, SPEAK UP.
    Tell the offending player(s) to STOP and let an adult know (coach, parent).
3. If you are guilty of harassing behavior toward another player, understand that you will be stopped and asked to leave the team.

It is never an acceptable excuse to say “I was only joking,” or “I didn’t mean it,” or “I wasn’t talking to him/her,” or “I was talking about somebody else.” You do not have the right to say or do things that are offensive to others who can see or hear you. When you do this, you are contributing to a hostile environment. What one person sees as a joke, another person may see as harassment. It doesn’t matter whether you intend to hurt or harass someone with these behaviors or not. It only matters how you make the other person feel. If they feel upset, hurt, harassed, or humiliated by your words or actions, then you’re responsible. 



PROHIBITION AGAINST BULLYING PER THE LUNENBURG SCHOOL SYSTEM

Bullying is prohibited:
• on school grounds,
• on property immediately adjacent to school grounds,
• at a school-sponsored or school-related activity, function, or program,
whether it takes place on or off school grounds,
• at a school bus stop, on a school bus or other vehicle owned, leased,
or used by a school district or school,
• through the use of technology or an electronic device that is owned,
leased or used by a school district or school (for example, on a school
computer or over the Internet using a school computer),
• at any program or location that is not school-related, or through the
use of personal technology or electronic devices, if the bullying creates a
hostile environment at school for the target, infringes on the rights of
the target at school, or materially and substantially disrupts the
education process or the orderly operation of a school. Retaliation
against a person who reports bullying, provides information during an
investigation of bullying, or witnesses or has reliable information about
bullying is prohibited.

More information can be found on the Lunenburg School System website here: