Glossary of Terms
Aggravated Battery: | Intentionally or knowingly causing great bodily harm, permanent disfigurement, or permanent disability to another, or committing battery against another with the use of a deadly weapon. Example: Using a deadly weapon to injure someone which results in the person being physically disabled to the point where he/she cannot fight back constitutes aggravated battery. |
Aggravated Robbery: | The taking of money or property from another through force or fear and causing serious injury during the robbery. Example: The man was arrested for aggravated robbery when the woman had a heart attack after he robbed her. |
Armed Robbery: | The taking of money or property from another through use of force, violence, assault, or putting in fear and while having a weapon. Example: The armed robber told the cashier that he would use the gun in his pocket unless she gave him all of the money. |
Alcohol: | Mind-altering or mood-altering beverages, including but not limited to beer, wine, wine coolers, vodka coolers, liquors, etc. Possession, use, sale, or distribution of alcohol or controlled substances will result in corrective actions at school and may lead to arrest and criminal penalties. Example: Consumption of excessive alcohol can cause death. |
Arson: | Willfully, or while committing any felony, causing damage to a building, structure, or dwelling by fire or explosion. Example: The girl was arrested for arson and expelled because she intentionally started a fire in the restroom. |
Assault (Verbal): | An intentional, unlawful threat by word or act to do violence to another, coupled with the apparent ability to do so, and doing some act, which creates a well - founded fear in the other person that such violence is imminent. Example: The students assaulted another girl by sending her notes saying that they would beat her up right after class |
Assault (Aggravated): | An assault with the use of a weapon or with the intent to commit another felony. Example: Using a weapon to attempt harming someone is aggravated assault. |
Battery: | Actually, and intentionally touching or striking another against his or her will, or intentionally causing bodily harm to another. Under Florida law, battery that causes great bodily harm, permanent disfigurement, or permanent disability is called “felony battery.” Under the law, battery, felony battery, and aggravated battery are distinguishable. Example: The student battered the teacher by pushing her against the wall. |
Behavior Contract: | Behavior Contract: Behavior Contracts are used to facilitate a desired change in behavior using a systematic approach. All contracts should include a clear description of the following elements: *Undesired Behavior to Change |
Bullying: | Systematically and chronically, inflicting physical hurt or psychological distress on one or more students or school employees. It is further defined as a pattern of unwanted and repeated written, verbal, or physical behavior, including any threatening, insulting, dehumanizing gesture by an adult or student, that is severe or pervasive enough to create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational environment; cause discomfort or humiliation; or unreasonably interfere with the individual’s school performance or participation that includes a noted power differential. Example: When the girl repeatedly made fun of another student for being poor, the girl was guilt |
Burglary/Breaking and Entering: | Entering a building, structure, or dwelling with the intent to commit an offense therein, without license or invitation to enter, unless the structure is open to the public, or remaining in a building, structure, or dwelling after permission has been withdrawn, surreptitiously with the intent to commit an offense. Example: The students committed burglary by crawling through the unlocked window to steal the school’s camera. |
Cheating: | Using unauthorized answers or sources to receive credit for schoolwork. Some examples are looking at someone else’s paper, copying from your notebook when you are supposed to use only your memory or copying someone else’s homework because you did not complete yours. Example: The teacher accused him of cheating when she found answers to the test written on his desk. Plagiarism is a form of cheating when you present another person’s words or ideas as your own without giving the originator credit for the information. Some common examples of plagiarism are copying information from a book without using quotation marks and without including a bibliography at the end of the assignment listing the sources used. All information in academic assignments that is not common knowledge must be cited and documented. An example of common knowledge is Jacksonville is a city in Florida. |
Class Suspension | The student is placed in an alternative classroom setting away from the scheduled classroom for a period of time. Students are provided with classwork to complete during this time. |
Controlled Substance (Drugs): | Mind-altering or mood-altering drugs, including but not limited to marijuana, cocaine, heroin, various pills, etc. Possession, use, sale, and/or distribution of controlled substances will result in corrective strategies at school and may lead to arrest and criminal penalties. Example: Use of controlled substances can be deadly.* Chapter 893, Florida Statutes (Drug Abuse Prevention and Control) provides a more extensive list of controlled substances. |
Cyberbullying: | The willful and repeated harassment and intimidation of an individual through the use of electronic mail or electronic communication with the intent to coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to a person. Example: Cyberbullying can cause students to get in trouble at school even if they use their home computer. |
Defiance: | Refusing to follow the directions of authority figures within the school, such as administrators, teachers, office workers, custodians, volunteer parents/guardians, cafeteria workers, and others. Example: He received detention for defying the cafeteria manager by refusing to pick up his lunch tray when she told him to do so. |
Destructive Device: | Any bomb, grenade, mine, rocket, missile, pipe bomb, or similar device containing an explosive, incendiary, or poison gas and includes any frangible container filled with an explosive, incendiary, explosive gas, or expanding gas, which is designed or so constructed as to explode by such filler and is capable of causing bodily harm or property damage; any combination of parts either designed or intended for use in converting any device into a destructive device and from which a destructive device may be readily assembled; any device declared a destructive device by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; any type of weapon which will, is designed to, or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of any explosive and which has a barrel with a bore of one -half inch or more in diameter; and ammunition for such destructive devices, but not including shotgun shells or any other ammunition designed for use in a firearm other than a destructive device. Example: Students shall be expelled for bringing to school destructive devices that can explode and hurt others. |
Detention: | A corrective strategy in which a student must spend time at school, either before or after the regular school day or on a Saturday. Detention can include students assigned to campus beautification, cafeteria clean-up, and school-community service. Example: The student served detention for one week after school for purposely breaking a window. School service – Cleaning of school grounds or property that was vandalized by a student. |
Dispute | An argument or squabble with two students, does not include major physical actions Example: The student went up to the custodian and caused a confrontation by yelling at him when the custodian asked him not to walk on the wet floor. |
Disruption: | Behavior that disturbs the learning and/or safety of others in class, on the school bus and at the bus stop. Example: The math class could not focus on preparing for FSA because the girls’ constant chatting was disruptive. |
Distribution: | Giving out, sharing, dispensing to others. Example: She was expelled for distribution of pills to other students. |
Drugs: | Any substance or chemical that alters mood or is used for mood altering, including but not limited to alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, pills, over-the-counter medications that are unauthorized or abused, etc. Possession, use, sale, or distribution of controlled substances that result in corrective actions at school may lead to arrest and criminal penalties. Example: The misuse of drugs can be deadly, especially for young people. |
Electronic Devices: | Any wireless communications/electronic device that is powered by electricity or a battery, which is not required by the curriculum and includes items such as smart watches, headphones, cellular phones, PDAs, electronic readers, tablets, laptops, cameras and any similar device. Example: Unauthorized use of electronic devices can disrupt the learning process and is not allowed in class. |
Expulsion: | The most serious disciplinary action that can be taken and defined as the exclusion of a student from a traditional school for the number of school days remaining in the school year in which the incident that gives rise to expulsion takes place and one (1) additional school year. Example: The student was expelled from school for carrying /possessing a gun at school. |
False Accusation: | An untrue and serious statement about a teacher, staff member, or any other person. False accusations are serious when they hurt the professional reputation of others or otherwise get a person in trouble that they do not deserve. Example: The student’s father made a false accusation about the teacher. |
False Fire Alarm: | Any action that causes people to believe that the school is under a serious threat, including but not limited to explosives and weapons of mass destruction. Example: Students who make false bomb threats could be expelled and arrested. Sections 790.162 and 790.163, F.S. (Weapons and Firearms), further define the making of a false threat or report. Making a false report requires mandatory expulsion not less than one year and may lead to arrest and criminal penalties. |
Fighting: | Two or more students trying to physically hurt each other. Fighting often begins with a disagreement between students that can be solved without fighting. |
Fighting (Minor): | Occurs when two or more students engage in physical force against each other and • They stop when an authority figure gives them a verbal command to stop, AND • There are no injuries that require medical attention as a result of the fight. Example: The students began to fight, but they stopped when the teacher told them to stop, and no one was hurt |
Fighting (Serious): | Occurs when two or more students engage in physical force or violence against each other and: • They become so enraged that they do not stop when given a verbal command to do so. OR • Physical restraint is required AND/OR • Someone is injured to an extent that requires immediate first aid or medical attention. Serious fighting must be reported to the school police. Example: Students involved in serious fighting that causes injury or requires medical attention will be suspended. If the Principal or Designee determines that one student or a group of students attacked someone who did not fight back, the aggressors should receive punishment for battery, aggravated battery, and/or bullying, depending on the facts, and will likely be arrested. Otherwise, administrators will report and punish all other incidents involving mutual participation as Fighting (Serious) without regard to who was the original aggressor. |
Forgery (Written Misrepresentation): | Making, altering, or signing a document with the intent to defraud or signing another person’s signature without the person’s consent. |
Gambling: | Participating in games of chance for money and/or other things of value. Example: Throwing dice for money is gambling. |
Grand Theft: | Stealing something over $300.00 in value. Example: He was charged with grand theft when he stole the school’s computer. |
Harassment (Civil Rights): | Any threatening, insulting or dehumanizing gesture, use of data or computer software, written, verbal or physical conduct directed against a student or school employee that: 1. Places a student or school employee in reasonable fear of harm to his or her person or damage to his or her property. 2. Has the effect of substantially interfering with a student’s educational performance, opportunities, or benefits 3. Has the effect of substantially disrupting the orderly operation of a school Example: What some people think is “just joking around” might constitute harassment if the person at whom it is directed is distressed by it. Repeated harassment is bullying. Harassment is directed at someone because of his or her gender, gender identity, race, color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, political beliefs, marital status, age, sexual orientation, social and family background, language, pregnancy, or disability. Example: Using racial slurs towards someone who is from a different country is harassment based on a characteristic concerning his civil rights. Example: Using racial slurs towards someone who is from a different country is harassment based on a characteristic concerning his civil rights. |
Hazing: | Pressuring or coercing another student into violating laws. Any brutality of a physical nature, such as whipping, beating, branding, exposure to the elements, forced consumption of any food, liquor, drug, or other substance, or other forced physical activity that could adversely affect the physical health or safety of the student. Any activity that would subject another student to extreme mental stress, such as sleep deprivation, forced exclusion from social contact, forced conduct that could result in extreme embarrassment, or other forced activity that could adversely affect the mental health or dignity of the student. Any act of hazing that causes risk of serious bodily injury or death is a misdemeanor. Any act of hazing that results in serious bodily injury or death is a felony. Example: Requiring new students to stay awake for two nights in order to join a club is committing hazing. |
Hazing (Felony): | Any act of hazing that results in serious bodily injury or death. |
Hazing (Misdemeanor): | Any act of hazing that causes risk of serious bodily injury or death. |
Hearing: | A formal proceeding where different sides of a story are presented to a person who makes a decision about what happened and what to do. Example: My parent and I asked for a hearing when I was suspended for having a butter knife in my backpack. |
Inappropriate Public Display of Affection: | Engaging in unsuitable, intimate, sexually suggestive behavior (example: kissing and touching), in agreement with someone else, in places where others are likely to be present, such as hallways, stairwells, classrooms, school buses, etc. Example: Kissing in the hallway and stairwells is an example of an inappropriate public display of affection. Engaging in this type of behavior in hidden places is also inappropriate, and depending on the circumstances, may constitute a more serious infraction. See Sexual Offenses (Other) in this glossary. |
Infraction: | The breaking of a school policy; a violation; an infringement. Example: Every infraction in the Code of Student Conduct has a range of corrective responses. |
Inciting Behavior: | Behavior that incites or urges others to do something wrong. Example: The student instigated his classmates to riot by daring them to create a disturbance in the school. |
Intimidate: | To make another person afraid. Example: The boy tried to intimidate another student by threatening to report him to the principal. |
Lewd: | Vulgar, indecent, improper, and of a sexual nature. Example: The student called her friend a lewd and derogatory word for a body part. |
Loss of Privilege | Restricting access to an activity for a specified period of time. |
Loss of Extracurricular Activity | A loss of privilege that describes a student’s restriction from school-sanctioned club, sports, and association for a specified period of time. |
OSS Suspension: | A corrective response to serious behavior where the student is not permitted to attend the regular school program for a specific number of days. Example: Serious behavioral infractions at school will result in suspension from school. |
Peer Mentor | Another student who can serve as a resource, helping hand, sounding board, and referral service |
Petit Theft: | Knowingly obtaining or using the property of another under $300.00 in value with the intent to temporarily or permanently deprive the owner of its use or benefit. Example: The Principal called School Police to report the petit theft of a student’s purse. |
Robbery | The taking of money or property from another through use of force, violence, assault, or putting in fear. Example: The students surrounded the boy in a circle and robbed him of his electronic game. |
Sale: | Distribution or sharing for money or profit in return. Example: She was expelled for selling drugs to other students. |
Sexting: | Sexting, sending, or forwarding through cellular telephones and other electronic media sexually explicit, nude or partially nude photographs/images. Sexting may involve: Example: Taking a picture of someone’s private parts with or without consent and sending through a cellular phone to share with others is sexting. |
Sexual Battery: | Using force or the threat of force to touch, feel, or hurt someone in sexual way against his or her will, or to use force to attempt to do so. Example: Touching another person’s private body parts without his/her consent is sexual battery. Also refer to Sexual Offenses (Other) for other sexual acts. |
Sexual Harassment: | Displaying unwanted and repeated conduct of a sexual nature that substantially interferes with a student’s academic performance and/or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive school environment, or causes discomfort or humiliation for that student. Example: The student was suspended for sexual harassment because he repeatedly talked about a female student’s private parts, making her feel uncomfortable. |
Sexual Offences (other): | Sexual contact in a lewd manner. A variety of actions can be characterized as sexual offenses at school. Examples: Include, but are not limited to •Possessing and/or distributing obscene or lewd materials at school * Under Florida law, students who are under 16 years of age cannot legally consent to sex. |
Skipping: | Not going to class when you are supposed to be in class. Example: The girls who tried to sign in to school after first period were caught and assigned detention for cutting/skipping class |
Slander: | Speaking false words that are capable of hurting another person’s reputation, community standing, office, trade, business, or means of livelihood. Example: Starting an untrue rumor about someone might constitute slander. |
(IRN#) Information Report Number | School Police Automated Reporting system for recording infractions that are reported to school police. Example: Administrators must create a IRN for battery, a serious infraction of the Code of Student Conduct. |
Stealing (see Theft): | Knowingly obtaining or using the property of another with the intent to temporarily or permanently deprive the owner of its use or benefit. Example: He stole the library book when he slipped it into his backpack and left the library without checking it out. |
Theft: | Knowingly obtaining or using the property of another with the intent to temporarily or permanently deprive the owner of its use or benefit. Example: He committed theft when he slipped the library book into his backpack and left the library without checking it out. |
Threat / Assault | An intentional, unlawful threat by word or act to do violence to another, coupled with the apparent ability to do so, and doing some act, which creates a well - found fear in the other person that such violence is imminent. Example: The student was suspended for making a threat to kill the teacher, causing her to fear for her life. |
Tobacco Product: | Any product made from tobacco, including but not limited to cigarettes, cigars, and chewing tobacco. |
Trespassing: | Entering and/or remaining upon a school campus, school transportation, or at school - sponsored events off campus or other School Board property without authorization or invitation to enter or remain, including students who are suspended or expelled. Example: The student was trespassing when he entered the school after being warned by the Principal that the school was closed. |
Unauthorized Medication: | Any medication prescribed by a medical provider and any non-prescribed (over the counter) drugs, preparations, and/or remedies that have not been authorized by the student’s physician and/or parent/guardian. Example: The student was swallowing two aspirins, an unauthorized medication, given to her by her best friend in the school cafeteria during lunch. |
Vandalism: | The intentional destruction, damage, or defacement of public or private property without consent of the owner or the person having custody or control of it. Major: resulting in damages over $1,000.00 Example: The student committed vandalism when he sprays painted graffiti on the school. |
Violence: | Physical force used to injure, damage, or destroy. Example: Acts of violence include serious fighting, using a weapon to hurt someone, and throwing objects hard enough to injure a person or damage property. |
Weapon: | Any instrument that can be used to inflict serious harm on another person or that places another person in fear of serious harm. Examples include but are not limited to all types of firearms (weapons used to shoot with, such as guns), dart - guns, stun guns, dirks (daggers), knives *, metallic knuckles, clubs, tear gas guns, chemical weapons or devices, bombs, aerosols, and other destructive devices (any item that can explode or cause destruction, such as grenades, mines, rockets, or missiles) and any other object used to inflict harm. This definition does not include simulated weapons. *Although common pocketknives are not classified as weapons under the Florida criminal code, Duval County Public Schools students are prohibited from carrying pocket knives on school property. School Operations/Alternative Education will determine the appropriate disciplinary action to apply based on the item that is confiscated and how it is used. Example: Everyday objects such as pens, pencils, thumbtacks, and rubber bands can be weapons if they are used to seriously harm or attempt to seriously harm someone *Section 790.001, F.S. (Weapons and Firearms), provides a further definition of weapons |
Zero Tolerance: | A principle that violence will not be tolerated at school, during school activities, on school property, or on school - sponsored transportation. |