CYBER-BULLYING

POLICY

Whole Trust? Yes / Statutory? Yes / Website? Yes
Reviewed: September 2016 / Next review: September 2020

Prior Park Schools (PPS) comprises four schools. Three of those schools, Prior Park College, The Paragon and Prior Park Preparatory School are incorporated in England as Prior Park Educational Trust Ltd. The fourth Prior Park School Gibraltar is incorporated in Gibraltar as Prior Park School Ltd. Both are companies limited by guarantee and registered charities.

This Policy is part of the Prior Park Schools Counter-Bullying Policy and should be read in conjunction with that document.

  1. Statement of intent:

1.1 All pupils within Prior Park Schools have a basic right to education in a secure, friendly and caring environment and we are committed to ensuring all pupils can learn in a safe and relaxed setting. The use of ICT is essential to modern education and life, with modern technology offering huge opportunities to learn, to communicate and to research. We support thoughtful, constructive and sensible use of technology to enhance educational experience, whilst promoting user responsibility. Please see our ICT Acceptable Use Policy for further details.

  1. Aims and objectives:

2.1 All bullying is unacceptable and we aim to foster positive attitudes to the use of ICT by members of our community.

2.2 We aim to reduce and even eliminate thoughtless use of ICT, raising awareness of the potential damage and appreciation of steps needed to protect yourself from harm.

2.3We aim to create an environment, throughout the Schools, in which pupils can learn, and staff can have fulfilling careers, free from harassment and bullying.

  1. Definition:

3.1 Cyber-bullying is the use of ICT to harass, threaten, taunt and upset. It features the aggressive intentional use of ICT by a group or individual and is in breach of Prior Park Schools ICT User Agreement. It may include the publication and dissemination of obscene material. It is an attack on the rights and dignity of an individual. It can occur using school systems and personal devices, but the School will take action to defend its community wherever the bullying takes place.

3.2 Cyber-bullying can take many forms, but some examples are:

  • Bullying by texts, messages or calls.
  • Use of mobile phone cameras to cause distress, fear or humiliation.
  • Posting threatening, abusive, defamatory or humiliating material on websites (including blogs, personal websites, social networking sites and You Tube), including so called “roasting”.
  • Using email/MSN/gossip sites to message others and to build adverse comment/profiles.
  • Hijacking/cloning email accounts, setting up fake Facebook pages.
  • Making threatening, abusive, defamatory, humiliating remarks in chat-room and social network sites, You Tube, rate my teacher sites and gossip sites.
  • ‘Sexting’, understood as the generation and sharing of sexualized comments/images/videos by children under the age of 18. Whether this is a consensual act between pupils or not it must be banned on school property as it may easily lead to incidents of ‘revenge porn’ and the publication of obscene or sensitive material.
  • Sending of video clips that hurt, embarrass or humiliate.
  • Instant messaging in an unpleasant fashion, designed to upset, exclude or hurt.
  1. Responding to Cyber-Bullying

4.1 Bullying damages individuals and communities and we have a duty to respond appropriately and effectively. Incidents of cyber-bullying and harassment, in any form, in regard to both pupils and staff, will not be tolerated. Sanctions will be enforced, in line with our Rewards and Sanctions Policy.

4.2 Where unacceptable use is suspected enhanced monitoring and procedures may come into action, including the power to check and/or confiscate personal technologies such as mobile phones. These checks and/or confiscations will take place in accord with a Guidance on Conducting a Search of a Pupil Policy.

4.3By planned education in pastoral sessions (PSCHE, PDP and assemblies) and ICT lessons we aim to raise awareness of issues and develop sensible use of ICT. We make pupils aware of key advice and helpful sources of information.

4.4By taking clear action when offences are discovered:

SAVE:securing the evidence (saving the item if on computer or securing the device if on a phone).

REPORT: Take a note of the key facts and inform the Designated Safeguarding Lead and any relevant senior staff with roles in e-safety and school discipline. Advise provider (phone or internet).

CALM: Do not reply to abuse. Never communicate with unknown parties. Tell if you come across an offensive site. Never give out personal information to unknown parties. Use senior staff and trusted adults to handle the issue.

4.5The Child Protection Officer would report to social services and police as appropriate.

4.6Action should be in line with our Safeguarding policies and procedures, which should therefore be referred to when responding to offences.

5.The Legal Position

5.1 Cyber-bullying is criminal in character and may well result in police action.

  • It is unlawful to disseminate defamatory information in any medium.
  • Section 127 of the Communication Act 2003 makes it an offence to send, by means of a public electronic communications system, a message or other matter that is grossly offensive or one of an indecent, obscene or offensive nature.
  • The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 makes it an offence to pursue any conduct amounting to harassment, for example with persistent texts or messages to an individual or about an individual.
  • Obscene publications legislation makes it an offence to publish material of young people in suggestive and unclad poses.
  1. Useful Sources

6.1 Offensive behaviour can be reported:

  • Offensive pages contact the Internet Watch Foundation.
  • Child exploitation – Child Exploitation & On-Line Protection Centre (CEOP).
  • Child Line – 0800 1111

6.2 Crucial sources of information for teachers, parents and pupils:

(contains: cyber-bullying summary leaflet and cyber-bullying guidance & resources).

6.3Related Policies: Counter-Bullying, ICT Acceptable Use Policy, Child Protection Policy, Prevent Duty Policy

Prior Park Educational Trust, Charity No:281242, Co. No: 01521832, Registered Office: Prior Park College, Ralph Allen Drive, Combe Down, Bath BA2 5AH