We acknowledge that bullying does take place but have a zero tolerance approach towards it. We believe that everyone has a right to enjoy school life in a safe and friendly environment. It is everyone’s responsibility to watch for early signs of distress, deterioration of work, isolation, the desire to be with adults and erratic attendance. This behaviour maybe an indication of other problems but it may be the early signs of bullying.
We encourage respect for others and their property and we work to ensure that everyone is valued equally and treated with respect, regardless of attitude, gender, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability or social status. We encourage an open culture where everyone within the school community has responsibility for reporting incidents of bullying.
We promise that every reported incident will be taken seriously and appropriate action taken with those involved.
Bullying can be:
· Verbal – name calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, teasing, blackmail
· Physical – kicking, punching, hitting, pushing, pulling, or any other threat or violence e.g. extortion (taking money from other people)
· Manipulation – Manipulates social networks with the intention of excluding or isolating individuals from their friends or normal relationships. Spreading rumours or malicious accusations.
· Emotional – being unfriendly, excluding, tormenting, teasing people on their size, looks or ability
· Racist, sexual or homophobic comments or actions
· Elitism – making comments about wealth, clothing, abilities and disabilities
· Cyber bullying – using mobile phones, computers, internet and other modern technology to send upsetting messages, pictures.
· Gender related. Making people feel inadequate due to their gender, or if they are transgender.
Bullying is not:
· When friends have an argument or fall out
· One off incident such as a fight
· An accident – an act of hurt which is caused unintentionally
What you can do if you think you are being bullied:
Tell a teacher – it will not get any better if you keep it to yourself.
Tell a parent/ carer – they may be able to help sort it out.
Log it via the Form below.
Email or tell a member of staff
· You must speak out – bullies rely on silence. They may threaten to make things worse if you tell but think about it – secrecy can only protect THEM, not you. By telling you may be helping others too!
· Don’t let them get away with intimidating you – show them you are not afraid by telling them to stop or you will tell on them
· Ask your friends and class mates to support you. If you friends and class mates support each other bullies lose their power.
· Keep a record of what has happened and ask your friends to be witnesses.
· Look the bully in the eye and tell him/her to stop
· Ignore the bully – walk away calmly and confidently. Don’t let the bully see you are upset
· Avoid handing over any possessions or money
· Check your body language: head up, shoulders back, walk tall, smile
· Don’t make counter threats
· Don’t bring siblings (brothers or sisters) or others into your problem, especially if they are older than you, it will only make matters worse
· Keep a log of all incidents with names, times, witnesses
· Avoid walking around on your own – go round in a group
· Change your patterns of behaviour – choose different routes or places to sit
· Join a lunchtime club or extra-curricular activity.
· If someone upsets you try to ignore it – they might stop if they don’t get a reaction.
If you believe you or someone else is the victim of cyber-bullying, you must speak to an adult as soon as possible. This person could be a parent/guardian or any member of staff.
What you can do:
Look out for signs that your child may be being bullied – being withdrawn, unusually quiet, not being themselves, not wanting to come to school
· Speak to your child and listen to what they say – these signs maybe indications of something else
· Don’t rush in and demand to see the Head / bully / bully’s parents. Contact your child’s Learning manager and report it to them in the first instance. – explain your fears and ask them to conduct an investigation. Parents may also inform the police in extreme cases such as: threats of violence, abuse of mobile phones or internet sites, racial or homophobic abuse.
· Talk to your child about what to do: keep a record of incidents, texts, emails
· Have realistic expectations of what the school can accomplish within the school setting
· Monitor your child’s use of the computer (especially social networking sites) and phone
· Access advice from internet sites such as www.parentlineplus.org.uk
· Make an appointment to discuss the findings and what action is being taken.
What to do if a child reports a bullying incident or you witness one:
· Recognise - Look out for signs of bullying
· Respond - Listen effectively, follow up and ensure the victim is safe, seek advice/ background knowledge from the form tutor/learning manager
· Record - record the incident, talk to the victim and bullies separately
· Follow up - Set them short term targets, encourage both sides to empathise and to resolve the conflict – offer a restorative meeting. Set a review date.
· Report – report these findings and outcomes to the Learning Manager
Finally, we would like to end by reminding of the range of support for victims of sexual harassment and abuse. We have several Welsh Government funded helplines already established, specifically Childline Cymru, Live Fear Free and the MEIC service.
Childline Cymru
0800 1111
Live Fear Free
0808 80 10 800
MEIC
0808 80 23 456
