Anti bullying policy
For
information or to express concerns about bullying in school please
contact the Headteacher in the first instance. For further
information refer to Rochdale's Anti-Bullying Policy for services
who work with children and young people.
Anti-bullying policy
Anti-Bullying
Policy (247kb pdf file)
Anti-bullying policy appendices
Definition
Rochdale Council believes that
bullying describes a situation in which one or more persons
persistently target(s) another in a way that causes distress to
that other person. It is not the action itself which defines a
situation as bullying as much as the effect it has on the victim
and it is this effect that should be the cause for concern and
intervention.
There are many definitions of bullying
but most consider it to be:
- Deliberately hurtful and/or repeated
often over a period of time
- Difficult for victims to defend
themselves against.
Bullying can take many forms but three
main types are:
- Physical - hitting,
kicking, taking belongings
- Verbal - name calling, insulting,
making offensive remarks
- Indirect -
- Spreading nasty stories
- Exclusion from social groups
- Being made the subject of malicious
rumours
- Sending malicious emails or text
messages
Name calling is the most common direct
form. This may be because of individual characteristics but pupils
can be called nasty names because of their ethnic origin,
nationality or colour, sexual orientation, or some form of
disability.
Identification
Identifying bullying is not easy and
the following messages should be considered when determining
whether a situation is a bullying one:
- Those being bullied are not in a
position to stop the process;
- It is not usually as noticeable or
obvious to others;
- It is the effect that is the key
determining factor, not the action;
- It is a persistent situation, not
isolated incidents;
- It has the intent to hurt or upset
the victim;
- It is not limited to physical hurt -
it can be social or psychological.
Definitions should only be a guide,
not a limit to what is and isn’t bullying. If a child or young
person feels bullied, it should be treated as such by those it is
disclosed to until fully investigated.
Schools and services should produce
leaflets/posters which explain who to contact about bullying. These
should be displayed around school and circulated to all parents,
carers and governors.
Full support is freely available in discussing the nature of
bullying, its effects and potential for addressing it, for all
schools and services working with children and young people in
Rochdale.
Acceptable and unacceptable behaviour
The detrimental effect of a bullying situation can be brought on
by incidents that may, for others, be considered unimportant or not
serious enough to warrant intervention. It should be remembered,
however, that it is the effect that is the cause for concern, and
not just the actions. Incidents of bullying behaviour could
include:
- Teasing, Name Calling or Insults
- Exclusion or Isolation
- Extortion or Theft
- Threats of Aggression / Threatening Looks
- Physical Assaults
- Indirect Insults to Family Members
- Gossiping or Sending Nasty Notes (or text messages, emails,
photos etc)*
*Please note that new technology brings new opportunities for
bullying.
Severity
The severity or seriousness of a bullying situation cannot be
determined in terms of actions or frequency. Whilst policy and
guidelines play an important role in addressing bullying, cases
should be treated individually and dealt with depending on the
effect and circumstances surrounding them.
Actions can be changed, but feelings are a personal issue. Those
investigating bullying disclosures should avoid judging the effect
of a situation by their own feelings and take into account the
feelings of the victim.
Rochdale has comprehensive support services for schools and
services working with children. Where this is specifically
concerning bullying behaviour. The Children’s Society Anti-Bullying
Team will work closely in partnership with schools.
Values statement
Rochdale Council believes that bullying is a behaviour which can
be described as a form of ‘peer abuse’ and that it can be an
inherent part of childhood behaviour. Despite this, it will always
remain an unacceptable aspect of behaviour due to the severe and
distressing effects it can have.
Central to this policy is the well-being of the bullied child.
Prevention and reaction strategies should aim to protect the
victims and potential victims from further abuse. Punishments,
sanctions and school regulations, as essential as they may appear,
are secondary to the safety and well-being of a victim of
bullying.
We also recognise that many children may display bullying
behaviour at some time and the policy also aims to promote
preventative environments for all children and to help children who
bully to change too.
Government guidance for schools
The Council supports the guidelines provided by the DCSF in the
‘Don’t Suffer in Silence’ pack and recommends that all schools
obtain a copy for reference.
Those working in the interests of child safety and well-being
should be prepared to alter their stance on certain issues if it is
necessary to protect a child from further abuse. This may include
avoiding the use of punishments or sanctions where there is a
concern over repercussions. Where possible this should be done in
negotiation with the victim and all other professionals who have a
vested interest.
Schools and young people’s services can benefit from formal or
informal discussions with the increasing number of trained
professionals in and around Rochdale.
Who does this Policy involve?
Rochdale Council believes that all adults working with children
and young people have a duty to protect children. We strongly
promote the involvement of all staff in schools and services
working with children in anti-bullying strategies. They should have
access to adequate training, resources, authority and support to
tackle bullying as part of their role.
The Council also believes that children and young people
themselves must take an active role in reducing and responding to
bullying and advocates strongly the use of peer support strategies
as a core element of an anti-bullying programme. Peer support means
training and encouraging children and young people themselves to
help each other. There are many examples of such peer support
schemes in Rochdale, for example ‘Playgrounds Pals’. The Children’s
Society Anti-Bullying Team offers advice and training to support
each groups.
Policy Aims
Our policy and strategy aims to protect children and young
people and to support schools and young people’s services in doing
so. In Rochdale we endeavour to work in partnership with schools
and agencies with this aim in mind and we will offer the support
necessary to do so and challenge any barriers that prevent us from
achieving this aim.
Schools and agencies working with children should use whatever
potential they have at their disposal to prevent bullying in the
first place. The involvement of whole staff groups, other young
people and external groups (professional and associates) will
provide a greater barrier to bullying than a limited programme of
reaction. The more you do to prevent bullying, the less of a
problem bullying will be.
Training is available in Rochdale to anyone who works with
children and those in a position to support changes in bullying
behaviour – professionals, parents, governors, children and young
people. Currently training is free and can be arranged to suit the
needs of the school. In addition training programmes are made
available for multi-agency groups periodically.
Recording and Monitoring Bullying Incidents
Rochdale Council has commissioned agencies to work actively in
many schools* in the Borough of Rochdale, many of whom have taken
the opportunity offered by this support to actively manage and
respond to bullying. As a result of this work we have drawn the
following conclusions:
- Bullying is present in all schools, although to different
degrees.
- The more active a school is in addressing bullying the safer
the pupils feel.
- Children and young people more often cite bullying as their
main school concern than any other issue.
- The vast majority of school staff are concerned about bullying,
and actively tackle it when they are given the skills, resources
and support to do so.
* It is recognised that bullying is not limited to schools but
this is where much of the anti-bullying work takes place.
Schools and agencies working with children and young people
should endeavour to be open about the issue of bullying. The extent
of bullying in a school is not a reflection on the abilities of the
organisation – the extent to which the school does or doesn’t
actively take measures to address it is. The more open a school is,
and the more prepared they are to take measures to tackle bullying,
the more likely they are to stay in control of it.
Schools should keep accurate records of bullying incidents and
their responses to them for monitoring purposes and to protect them
from legal action.
Agencies commissioned by the Council to support with bullying
intervention, where possible, work in partnership. Schools and
other groups should feel comfortable accessing support with
specific requests for a service and, equally, to look for guidance
and advice on the best course of action.
Prevention Strategies in Schools
Rochdale Council believes schools should have an anti bullying
strategy which operates on four levels:
-
Prevention
- Integrated preventative work within the curriculum – including
relationships, responsibility for others and the effects of
negative treatment. The Personal Social Health Citizenship
Education curriculum and the new social, emotional and behavioural
skills curriculum (‘SEALS’ - Social and Emotional Aspects of
Learning) being introduced to schools for 2005 are extremely
important. (Appendix1)
-
Peer Support
- Active peer support provision is also very important either
formally arranged or ensuring that informal opportunities for
friendship development and peer group enhancement are available.
Many schools already have successful peer support programmes. The
Children’s Society is skilled in advising on and developing peer
support work.
-
Procedures
- Procedures for disclosure should be available at an early
stage, e.g. circle-time, safe areas, school counselling services or
peer counselling or mentoring on a regular basis. Procedures for
recording and monitoring should be clear to all concerned.
-
Promotion
- Promotion of anti-bullying procedures and strategies to all
members of the school community – pupils, parents, staff and
governors. Leaflets, posters and regular reports and publication of
the school’s anti bullying policy are all helpful in promoting the
messages.
Schools should consider the use of external agencies to support
their anti bullying programme. Schools should not consider lack of
knowledge, or lack of resources as a reason for not addressing
bullying.
Support agencies in Rochdale have both the human and material
resources to support the integration of all of the above into a
school, or the development of existing procedures. All are
available on request and free of charge.
Reaction Strategies
On disclosure of bullying or suspected bullying (disclosure is
defined as either direct revelation of incidents or perceived
belief by a third party that bullying may be occurring) any
professional should take measures to address the situation and
protect the victim from further abuse. Rochdale Council does not
accept that anything should stand in the way of a procedure to
ensure the protection of a child or young person. It is the
responsibility of the school or service to ensure this protection
and should not be considered optional. Any issues which may hinder
this procedure should be addressed by the school immediately, such
as lack of knowledge about procedures amongst staff or lack of
opportunities for disclosure.
Rochdale Council promotes the use of non-punitive intervention
as a first step in reactions to bullying disclosures. Our first
concern is the safety and well being of the victim, not the
punishment of the bully. We acknowledge that at times sanctions and
interventions may be necessary but that the ultimate aim is to stop
the bullying and protect the victim from further abuse. Children
and young people who bully also require support to understand the
effects on others and to develop more appropriate social and
communication skills to change their behaviour and this should be
made available. The Children’s Society provides training and
information on this approach.
ALL staff (teaching and non-teaching) in a school or service
should have a clear understanding of procedures in responding to
bullying disclosures. Procedures should be consistent throughout
the organisation and time should be provided for staff to
adequately deal with the disclosure. Staff should be supportive of
colleagues – both in creating time and in being a joint part of the
solution.
Support agencies in Rochdale are able to provide all
professionals with adequate training to constructively react to
bullying disclosures. Training programmes are available free and in
formats to suit all school situations.
Promotion, Dissemination, Implementation & Monitoring
Rochdale Council has the responsibility for promoting the
content of this policy to schools and services working with
children and young people in Rochdale and to parents and other
professionals as required. The dissemination of the policy is also
an opportunity to develop it. The Council welcomes ongoing feedback
on this policy, and endeavours to keep it in line with the needs
and requirements of children and young people and with guidance
from the DCSF.
Partnerships
Promotion of this policy should be made to all partnerships –
whether children and young people, parents or other professionals
and every effort should be made to ensure they understand its
content and meaning.
Rochdale Council, through our Children, Schools and Families
Partnership, strongly promotes working together.
Evaluation and Monitoring
Each policy should be reviewed annually or more often if the
need arises. Policies should be summarised and distributed
regularly to all concerned. Where possible, consultation is made
with our partners as to the needs for updating or amending the
policy. Developing our policy is an agreed activity and is written
into the annual plan of the Children’s Society.
Rochdale Council expects that schools and services developing
Anti-Bullying policies will consult with all concerned and actively
involve children, parents, governors and staff and ensure that this
is a working process which is regularly re-visited rather than a
completed document. (N.B. for schools, a policy is a legal
requirement).
The Department for Education recommends that all schools adopt
‘Bullying – A charter for action’.
Workshops are made available for those charged with writing and
updating policies. In addition a full pack is available alongside
this policy to provide support and guidance through a process of
developing both a policy and a strategy in order to address
bullying.
Guidance for Parents and Carers
Rochdale Council believes that parents and carers are paramount
in reducing and protecting children from bullying. Schools and
services should always try to work with parents and carers where
their child is the victim or the perpetrator of the bullying
actions. Services should recognise the importance of working with
parents/carers and acknowledge the rights of parents/carers to
information and support.
Parents’ Rights
The Council recognises guidelines for
parents set out in the Department for Education 'Bullying - Don’t Suffer in
Silence’ pack.
On becoming aware of bullying behaviour involving their child,
parents’ courses of action entitle them to:
- See the school’s anti-bullying policy;
- Have an appointment with school staff or management;
- Have an action plan drawn up to prevent further bullying, which
includes clear responsibility and review dates;
- Have their concerns heard by the board of governors;
- Contact the Executive Director or representative for
guidance;
- Contact the Secretary of State for Education to lodge a
concern.
Schools are recommended to address parents’ concerns at an early
stage, to take their concerns seriously and to provide them with
support in reaching a satisfactory conclusion.
Working with parents is one of the greatest challenges for
schools when addressing bullying. The Council recognises this and
through support agencies is able to provide schools with practical
support programmes to help staff address parents’ concerns
effectively, and to help parents to understand the best course of
action when working with the school.