Our Promise to You
At Universal School, every student has the right to feel safe, respected, and valued. The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught that a true Muslim is one from whose tongue and hand others are safe. Bullying goes against our faith, our values, and everything we hope for in our graduates. Following this principle, Universal School complies with New York’s Dignity for All Students Act (DASA), and does not allow bullying, harassment, intimidation, or discrimination on school property, on the bus, at a school events, or online when it affects our school community. If something is happening to you or to someone else, tell an adult. You will be listened to, you will be taken seriously, and you will not be punished for telling.

What Is Bullying?
Bullying is when a person or group repeatedly or seriously hurts, scares, or excludes someone, and it is hard for that person to make it stop. It can look like:

• Physical: hitting, pushing, kicking, taking or breaking someone’s things, blocking someone’s way.

• Words: name-calling, teasing that hurts, insults, threats, mocking someone’s faith, family, race, language, body, disability, or how they look or dress.

• Leaving someone out: spreading rumors or lies, shutting someone out on purpose, getting others to turn against someone.

• Online (cyberbullying): mean texts, messages, posts, group chats, photos, or videos about someone, or pretending to be someone else.

• Harassment based on who someone is: targeting someone because of their race, religion, background, disability, gender, or other personal characteristics.

Everyone has arguments or disagreements sometimes. A fight between two friends or one unkind comment is not always bullying, but it still matters. If you are not sure, tell an adult anyway. It is always okay to ask. 

 

Different Ways to Report Bullying: 

1. Tell an adult you trust. This can be any teacher or staff member, the office, your counselor, Dr Omar Baloch or Tehniyat Azam, or our Dignity Act Coordinator, Principal Raana Azam. You do not have to know exactly the right person. Any adult at school must pass it on. 

2. Put it in writing if you want to. You can fill out the Bullying Report Form at the end of this section, drop a note in the main office, or send an email to studentaffairs@myuniversalschool.org. You can write about it yourself, or ask an adult to help you.

3. Share what you remember. Who was involved, what happened, where and when, and who saw it. Keep any messages or screenshots if the bullying was online, and show them to an adult. Do not forward or share them with other students.

4. You can ask a parent or guardian to report for you. Parents may contact Principal Raana Azam or the school counselors.

5. You can report without giving your name. We take anonymous reports seriously, but we may not be able to follow up as completely, so we encourage you to share your name if you feel safe doing so.

6. You can report something you saw happen to someone else. Telling an adult when you see bullying is not tattling. It is caring about others and keeping them safe.