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Glossary of SSEC Reporting Terms

(effective July 1, 2021, updated June 2026)

Note: For a printable version of this page, please see the Glossary of SSEC Terms (June 2026). For the previous Glossary of Terms, please see the SSEC Archives webpage. For additional information on the SSEC reporting system, please visit the School Safety and Educational Climate webpage.

The below terms are used in the yearly School Safety and Educational Climate (SSEC) Data Collection process.

SSEC Violent or Disruptive Incidents Related Terms

1. School Property

School property shall mean in or within any building, structure, athletic playing field, playground, parking lot, or land contained within the real property boundary line of a public elementary or secondary school, or in or on a school bus (Education Law §11(1) and Vehicle and Traffic Law §142, 8 NYCRR 100.2(gg)(1)(ii) and (kk)(1)(i)).

2. School Function

School function means a school-sponsored or school-authorized extracurricular event or activity, regardless of where such activity takes place, including any event or activity that may take place in another state (Education Law §11(2), 8 NYCRR 100.2(gg)(1)(i) and (kk)(1)(ii)).

3. Weapon

Weapon shall mean any weapon as defined in (8 NYCRR 100.2(gg)(1)(iii)).

4. Violent or Disruptive Incidenti

A violent or disruptive incident is an incident that occurs on school property of the school district, board of cooperative educational services, charter school, or county vocational education and extension board, and falls under one of these categories:

1. Homicide

Any intentional violent conduct that results in the death of another person.

2. Sexual Offense

Any act committed by a person 10 years of age or older which would constitute a felony under , taking into consideration the developmental capacity of the person to form the intent to commit such act, and where the school has referred the person to the police for the act.

3. Assault

Any act committed by a person 10 years of age or older which would constitute a felony under , taking into consideration the developmental capacity of the person to form the intent to commit such act, and where the school has referred the person to the police for the act.

4. Weapons Possession

Any act committed by a person 10 years of age or older which would constitute a felony under , taking into consideration the developmental capacity of the person to form the intent to commit such act, and where the school has referred the person to the police for the act

5. Material Incidents of Discrimination, Harassment, and Bullying

5a. Material Incidents of Discrimination, Harassment, and Bullying (Excluding Cyberbullying) (8 NYCRR 100.2(kk)(1)(ix))

A single verified incident or a series of related verified incidents where a student is subjected to harassment, bullying, and/or discrimination by a student and/or employee on school property, at a school function, or off school property (as defined in Commissioner’s regulation §100.2(kk)(1)(viii).

Such conduct shall include, but is not limited to, threats, intimidation or abuse, based on a person’s actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender, or sex.

Acts of harassment and bullying shall include, but not be limited to, those acts based on a person's actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender or sex. For the purposes of this definition the term "threats, intimidation or abuse" shall include verbal and non-verbal actions.

Commissioner’s regulation §100.2(kk)(1)(viii) Dignity Act reporting requirements, provides that harassment or bullying means the creation of a hostile environment by conduct or by threats, intimidation, or abuse that either:

(a) has or would have the effect of unreasonably and substantially interfering with a student’s educational performance, opportunities or benefits, or mental, emotional and/or physical well-being, including conduct, threats, intimidation or abuse that reasonably causes or would reasonably be expected to cause emotional harm; or
(b)reasonably causes or would reasonably be expected to cause physical injury to a student or to cause a student to fear for his or her physical safety.
(c)such definition shall include acts of harassment or bullying that occur:

  1. on school property,
  2. at a school function, or
  3. off school property where such act creates or would foreseeably create a risk of substantial disruption within the school environment, where it is foreseeable that the conduct, threats, intimidation or abuse might reach school property.

Emotional harmthat takes place in the context of harassment or bullying means harm to a student's emotional well-being through creation of a hostile school environment that is so severe or pervasive as to unreasonably and substantially interfere with a student's education. (8 NYCRR §100.2(jj)(1)(viii)(e))

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As a reminder - acts of harassment, bullying, or discrimination include, but are not limited to, conduct based on a person’s actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender or sex.

An incident may still meet the definition of a material incident of harassment, bullying, or discrimination, regardless of whether any of the listed traits are applicable.

Bullying

While bullying is not separately defined in the Dignity Act, the following examples of bullying, adapted from the below resource, can help you identify the elements of bullying behaviors. Examples include but are not limited to:

  • Verbal: Teasing, name-calling, inappropriate sexual comments, taunting, and threatening to cause harm
  • Social bullying: Spreading rumors, deliberately excluding others, telling peers not to associate with someone, and publicly embarrassing someone.
  • Physical: Hitting, kicking, pinching, spitting, tripping, pushing, breaking someone’s belongings, or making rude or obscene hand gestures.

For additional information on recognizing bullying behaviors, please visit the U.S. Department of Education supported federal resource - .

Discrimination

Discrimination is not specifically defined in the Dignity Act. However, New York State Human Rights Law Executive Law §296 defines unlawful discriminatory practice as an educational institution denying the use of its facilities to any person otherwise qualified, or to permit the harassment of any student or applicant.

It should be noted that in addition to the prohibitions set forth in Education Law §12 and Commissioner’s Regulation §100.2(kk), Educational Law §3201 and §3201-a prohibit discrimination in the form of denial of admission into or exclusion from any public school on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, and sex.

5b. Cyberbullyingii

Cyberbullying is defined as harassment or bullying that occurs through any form of electronic communication, (Education Law §11(8)) including, but not limited to, cell phones, computers, and tablets, or other communication tools, including social media sites, text messages, chat rooms, and websites.

See definition of harassment or bullying as defined in 5a. and Commissioner’s regulation §100.2(kk)(1)(viii).

6. Bomb Threat

A telephoned, written, or electronic message that a bomb, explosive, or chemical or biological weapon has been or will be placed on school property.

7. False Alarm

Causing a fire alarm or other disaster alarm to be activated, knowing there is no danger, or through false reporting of a fire or disaster.

8. Threat of School Violence (other than bomb threat or false alarm)

A verbal, telephoned, written or electronic message of a threat of violence on school property or at a school related function.

9. Use, Possession, or Sale of Drugs

Illegally using, possessing, or being under the influence of a controlled substance or marijuana, on school property or at a school function, including having such substance on a person, in a locker, vehicle, or other personal space; selling or distributing a controlled substance or marijuana on school property; finding a controlled substance or marijuana on school property that is not in the possession of any person; provided that nothing herein shall be construed to apply to the lawful administration of a prescription drug on school property.

10.Use, Possession, or Sale of Alcohol

Illegally using, possessing, or being under the influence of alcohol on school property or at a school function. This includes possessing alcohol on a person, in a locker, a vehicle or other personal space; selling or distributing alcohol on school property or at a school function; and finding alcohol on school property that is not in the possession of any person.

Bias-Related Termsiii

1. Bias-Related Conduct

Behavior that is motivated by a target/victim’s race, color, creed, national origin, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, age, marital or partnership status, family status, disability, alienage, or citizenship status.

2. Race

The groups to which individuals belong, identify with, or belong in the eyes of the community. This includes traits historically associated with race, including, but are not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles. Protective hairstyles shall include, but are not limited to, such hairstyles as braids, locks, and twists (Education Law §11(9) and (10)).

3. Ethnic Group (Ethnicity)

An affiliation with a particular group, country, or area of origin (distinct from citizenship or country of legal nationality), race, color, language, religion, customs of dress or eating, tribe or various combinations of these characteristics.

4. National Origin

An Individual’s country of birth, country of origin, or the country of origin of an individual’s family or spouse.

5. Color

Complexion, tint, or skin pigmentation. Color discrimination can occur within the same racial or ethnic group.

6. Religion

Religious or spiritual belief of preference, regardless of whether this belief is represented by an organized group of affiliation having religious or spiritual tenets.

7. Religious Practices

Religious observances or practices that may include attending worship services, praying, wearing garb or symbols, displaying religious objects, adhering to certain dietary rules, proselytizing or other forms of religious expression, and/or refraining from certain activities.

8. Disability

  1. A physical, mental, or medical impairment resulting from anatomical, physiological, genetic, or neurological conditions, which prevents the exercise of a normal bodily function, or is demonstratable by medically accepted clinical or laboratory diagnostic techniques, or a record of such an impairment; or
  2. A condition regarded by others as such an impairment, provided, however, that in all provisions of this article dealing with employment, the term must be limited to disabilities which, upon the provision of reasonable accommodations, do not prevent the complainant from performing in a reasonable manner the activities involved in the job or occupation sought or held (Education Law §11(3) and Executive Law §292(21)).

9. Gender

Gender means a person’s actual or perceived sex and includes a person’s gender identity or expression (Education Law §11(6)).iv

10. Sexual Orientation

Sexual orientation means actual or perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality, or bisexuality (Education Law §11(5)).

11. Sex

Sex refers to the biological characteristics that define humans as female or male. While these sets of biological characteristics are not mutually exclusive, as there are individuals who possess both, they tend to differentiate humans as males and females.v

12. Other

Other can include, but is not limited to, physical characteristics, age, socio-economic status, health condition, housing, domestic relationships, social/academic status, etc.

Other Related Terms

1. Gang-Related

When an incident involves one or more than one offender, known to be a member of an organized group, or gang, which is characterized by turf concerns, symbols, special dress, and/or colors that engages students in delinquent or illegal activity.

2. Group-Related

An incident is group-related if it is several individuals that assemble for the purpose of engaging in or contributing to actions that occur during the incident.

3. School Bus

School bus means every motor vehicle owned by a public or governmental agency or private school and operated for the transportation of pupils, teachers, and other persons acting in a supervisory capacity, to or from school or school activities (Education Law §11(1) and Vehicle and Traffic Laws §142).

4. Target

Target refers to a person who has been mistreated and/or injured, or the individual affected by the incident. The target can be identified as a student, staff, or other.

5. Victim

See the definition of target.

6. Other

Other refers to a target/victim or offender who is unknown, or neither a student nor a staff member.

7. Offender

Offender refers to a person who has mistreated and/or injured another person, or the individual who caused the incident. The offender can be identified as a student, staff (such as teacher or other school staff), or other (such as school safety officer, student intruder, visitor, unknown).

8. Disciplinary or Referral Action

For the purposes of reporting, a consequenceviassigned based on the violation of the school’s code of conduct and reported under one of the following:

  • Counseling or Treatment Programs: For purposes of reporting, referrals to counseling or treatment programs are formal multi-session interventions, provided by certified or licensed professionals, aimed at reducing risk factors, linked to the identified problem area(s) (i.e. drug/alcohol rehabilitation programs, anger management programs, etc.).
  • Teacher Removal of a Disruptive Pupil: the removal of a disruptive pupil from the teacher’s classroom, pursuant to the provisions of Education Law §3214(3-a).
  • In-School Suspension: a removal from instruction and/or activities in the same setting as class/age peers as a disciplinary purpose but remains under the direct supervision of school personnel.
  • Out-of-School Suspension: when a student is suspended from attending classes or being on school property. The student must receive his/her instruction during the period of suspension, in an alternate setting, separate from the school which his/her class/age peers attended.
  • Involuntary Transfer to an Alternative Placement: the removal from instruction within the same school building as class/age peers as a disciplinary measure, and assignment to an alternate setting to receive instructional services. This could also include alternate (i.e. condensed) hours.
  • Community Service: when a school/district determines work that is assigned without pay to help the community.
  • Juvenile Justice or Criminal Justice System: when the school is aware that a student, under the supervision of juvenile justice of the criminal justice system, engages in an incident that may rise to the level of a criminal offense, the school reports the incident to the juvenile justice system for intervention.
  • Law Enforcement: when a student engages in an incident, that occurs on school grounds, during school-related events, or while on school transportation, and the incident may rise to the level of a criminal offense, the school reports the incident to any law enforcement agency or official, according to law enforcement procedures.

9. School-Related Arrests

An arrest of a student for an activity conducted on school grounds, during off-campus school activities (including while taking school transportation), or due to a referral to law enforcement by any school official.vii

10. Controlled Substance

According to , “the term ‘controlled substance’ means a drug or other substance, or immediate precursor, included in schedule I, II, III, IV, or V of . The term does not include distilled spirits, wine, malt beverages, or tobacco, as those terms are defined or used in subtitle E of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.”

Endnotes

i.Education Law §15, Education Law §2802
ii.For additional cyberbullying related terms, refer to Appendix A in The New York State Dignity for All Students Act Resource and Promising Practices Guide for School Administrators & Faculty.
iii.These terms are consistent with those found in the publication entitled,The New York State Dignity for All Students Act Resource and Promising Practices Guide for School Administrators & Faculty, Appendix A, Further descriptions and examples of these definitions are available in this document.
iv.For further explanation refer toGuidance to School Districts for Creating a Safe and Supportive School Environment For Transgender and Gender Nonconforming StudentsԻ.
v.
vi. Routine referrals of a student to a principal or assistant principal for possible disciplinary action should not be counted as a referral to a counseling or treatment program or teacher removal.
vii.Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, 20 U.S.C. sections 6301 et seq., (Public Law 114-95, title 1, section 8532, 129 STAT. 1802); Education Law §2802(7).