All children and young people have the right to go about their daily lives without the fear of being threatened, assaulted or harassed. No one should underestimate the impact that bullying can have on a person’s life. It can cause high levels of distress, affecting young people’s well being, behaviour, academic and social development right through into adulthood.
Bullying hurts. No one deserves to be a victim of bullying. Everybody has the right to be treated with respect. Students who are bullying need to learn different ways of behaving. Also bullies need to be taught that bad behaviour is not acceptable at the school. Schools have a responsibility to respond promptly and effectively to issues of bullying.
Bullying is hurting another person deliberately and persistently. Bullying results in pain and distress to the victim.
Bullying can be:
- Emotional being unfriendly, excluding, tormenting (e.g. hiding books, threatening gestures).
- Physical pushing, kicking, hitting, punching or any use of violence.
- Verbal name –calling, sarcasm, spreading rumors, teasing.
- Cyber-all areas of internet, such as e-mail and internet chat room misuse.
- Mobile threats by text messaging and calls.
- Misuse of associated technology, i.e. camera and video facilities.
- Abusive text messages and abusive phone calls.
- The production display or circulation of written words, pictures or other materials aimed at intimidating another person.
Forms bullying take:
- Name calling-using bad language
- Physical
- Group attack
- Destroying other people’s property
- Personal remarks
- Saying unkind things about your family
- Hurting feelings
- Cyber bullying
Procedures
- Students who report bullying incidents to school staff must follow through regardless of the report.
- An attempt will be made to help the bully (bullies) change their behaviour.
- In all cases of bullying, the incidents will be recorded by the class teacher. One copy is kept in teacher’s book and 2 other copies (photo copied) are given to the respective coordinator or supervisor.
- A record of bullying incidents is maintained by the supervisor which would be reviewed by the senior management team and will be kept separately.
- In serious cases, parents should be informed and will be asked to come into a meeting to discuss the problem.
- The bullying behaviour or threats of bullying must be investigated and the bullying stopped quickly.
Response Procedures
- All bullying incidents should be reported immediately to a staff member.
- Staff member will record all reported bullying incidents and may share them with the coordinator, supervisor, Headmistress and the Principal.
- Parents of both victim and perpetrator may be informed and summoned to the school for a meeting about the problem.
- The bullying behaviour or threats will be investigated quickly and fully, with both victim and perpetrator informed that the behavior will/must stop immediately.
- The bullying perpetrator may meet with the school counsellors, a designated staff member and (if they are willing to cooperate) his/her parents to understand the seriousness of his/her actions (to include placing themselves in the victim’s shoes to appreciate the undesirable effects of the behaviour), and to learn appropriate means of changing behaviour.
- The bully may be asked to genuinely apologize to the victim and/or, if the victim prefers, will sign a letter promising to avoid all future contact with the victim.
- There may be a range of punitive responses up to suspension/dismissal for the perpetrator in very serious cases,after thorugh investigation by a team.Final decision is been made by the Principal in consultation with the Academic director and the senior management team.
- After the incident has been thoroughly investigated and dealt with, the class teacher and counsellor will monitor and evaluate both students (including regular “check-ins”) to ensure that bullying does not resume or reoccur.
What do we do to prevent bullying?
- Code of Conduct for students
- Class rules / Rights and Responsibilities
- Displays
- Well done assembly to make children feel confident
- Pupil recommendations
- Peer mediation
- Verbal warnings / Detentions
Advice to bullied pupils
We will tell our children not to suffer in silence. This will be reinforced through general day-to-day teaching.
During a bullying incident, pupils will be advised to:
- Try to stay calm and look as confident as they can.
- Be firm and clear and look the bully in the eye and tell them to stop.
- Get away from the situation as quickly as they can.
- Tell an adult what has happened straight away.
After they have been bullied, pupils should:
- Tell a teacher or other adult at school.
- Tell their family.
- Take a friend with them if they are scared to tell an adult by themselves.
- Not blame themselves for what has happened.
When they talk to an adult about the bullying, pupils should be clear about:
- What has happened to them?
- How often it has happened?
- Who was involved?
- Where it happened?
- Who saw what happened?
- What they have done about it already?