4.1 Acceptable Use Policies - Bullying and Harassment
Updated 17 October 2025
This document outlines a strict anti-bullying and harassment policy, adapted from GitHub's guidelines, for online communities. It details prohibited conduct such as targeted attacks, disruptive activity, intimidation, sexual advances, and instigating conflict. The policy emphasizes creating a respectful environment while clarifying that not all unwelcome conduct constitutes harassment.
Bullying and Harassment
This document is taken from the GitHub website - more information about GitHub and its functions can be found at https://github.com/. Please note that many of the included provisions are designed for GitHub or similar site (such as for building and developing software with online communities), so they are not relevant to all types of business.
You can amend this document to be suitable for your own Community and purposes using the smart fields and customizing the bracketed sections. We recommend adding hyperlinks to your own policies and website pages - make sure your business has in place all the policies referred to here.
Please find the other specific GitHub Acceptable Use Policies in this 'GitHub Site Policies for Startups' repository.
We do not tolerate harassment, bullying, or abuse of any kind, whether directly or by encouraging others to take part in the prohibited conduct. This includes:
Targeted personal attacks
Piling on to or orchestrating disruptive activity in a way that amounts to abuse
Following another user around the platform in a manner that causes intimidation
Making sexual advances or comments directed at another individual
Disingenuously participating in conversation in a way that instigates conflict or undermines sincere discussion
Creating alternative accounts specifically to evade moderation action taken by GitHub staff or users
Please note, not all unwelcome conduct is necessarily considered harassment. For example, disagreeing with another user or downvoting their comments may not rise to the level of harassment on our platform. In addition, sharing criticism of public figures or projects, or topics of public interest, does not necessarily fall under this policy. However, we encourage you to be mindful in how you engage with other users and the platform, as this activity may still violate our restriction on disrupting the experience of other users.
About this template
What is this template?
4.1 Acceptable Use Policies - Bullying and Harassment is a free, ready-to-use Technology template you can open, customize, and download on GitLaw. It gives you a professionally structured starting point, so you never have to draft from a blank page. The wording is plain and modern, organized into clear sections that are easy to read, edit, and adapt to your own situation before you share or sign it.
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What's typically included?
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