GII Code of Conduct - Harassment/Bullying and Threats

One of the greatest lessons individuals take away from cycling is the experience of being in a club where members support one another.  All cycling participants are entitled to respectful treatment at all times during any cycling oriented activity.  Respectful treatment means being treated honestly and professionally, with your unique talents and perspectives valued.  A respectful environment is an environment that is free of inappropriate behaviors of all kinds and harassment because of age, mental or physical disability, marital status, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity.  Actions that demean or intimidate individuals, either physically or emotionally, can affect performance and cohesion.  Giving athletes a way to report behavior without fear of reprisal is also important.

DEFINITION

Harassment and bullying is defined as an intentional, persistent and repeated behavior, either direct or indirect, whether verbal, physical, electronic or otherwise, conducted by one or more persons against another or others.  It is aggressive behavior and includes any pattern of physical and/or non-physical behaviors that (i) are intended to cause fear, humiliation, or annoyance, (ii) offend or degrade, (iii) create a hostile environment, or (iv) reflect discriminatory bias in an attempt to establish dominance, superiority, or power over an individual participant or group based on age, mental or physical disability, marital status, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.

Threats can be a single behavior that constitutes actual or potential assault, battery, harassment or intimidation.

Examples of harassment, bullying and threats prohibited by this policy include, without limitation:
 
1. Verbal/Emotional
 

• Slandering, ridiculing or maligning a person or his family
• Persistent name calling, insulting or humiliating
• Using a person as butt of jokes, abusive or offensive remarks
• Non-verbal threatening gestures that convey a threatening message
• Making negative or disparaging comments about a participant’s age, mental or physical disability, marital status, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or riding ability

 
2. Physical 

• Pushing, hitting, biting, choking, shoving, kicking, poking, tripping, or the threat of bodily harm
• Assault, or threat of physical assault
• Damage to a person’s property
• Throwing objects in an attempt to intimidate

3. Cyber- Bullying 

• Any aforementioned examples of bullying that takes place by any electronic devices such as, but not limited to: text messaging, emails, social networking sites, websites, online chatting, fake profiles, etc. 

4. Ignoring Bullying or Threatening Behaviors 

• While other individuals are often the perpetrators of bullying, threats or other misconduct, it is also a violation of policy if a responsible adult knows of the bullying or threats and takes no action to intervene on behalf of the targeted participant(s).

EXCEPTIONS

Bullying does not include a group or team behavior designed to establish normative team behavior or promote team cohesion.  For example, bullying does not include verbal admonitions to encourage team members to train harder and push through a difficult training regimen.  Also, exercises such as “bumping exercises” that serve to improve skill or athletic performance are not considered bullying or threatening.

RETURN TO GII Code of Conduct