Anti-Bullying

Rationale

St Roch’s Secondary School is committed to providing a supportive, caring and safe environment for all pupils, so that each child can flourish and learn in a secure atmosphere and be confident that all issues of bullying or racism will be immediately addressed.

We believe that all pupils have the right to work and socialize within our school community without any apprehension of being the victim of bullying/racist behaviour. Bullying should not be considered an inevitable part of school life or growing up, but all institutions will unfortunately contain an element of society with a tendency towards bullying behaviour.

Bullying not only affects the victim, but also those who witness incidents, those who are drawn in by peer pressure, the staff who deal with such incidents and the parents and carers who endure the consequences of bullying or racist behaviour inflicted upon their children.

This policy aims to outline the procedures which pupils, staff and parents/guardians should follow in the event of a bullying or racist incident taking place and to emphasize that all bullying incidents will be treated seriously and will not be tolerated within our school community.

What is Bullying?

Bullying is an abusive act conducted by an individual or group of individuals with the deliberate intent of inflicting harm or hurt upon another. Bullying manifests itself in a variety of ways:

  • Physical pushing, kicking, hitting, punching or any use of violence
  • Emotional/Mental being unfriendly, excluding others, tormenting e.g. hiding

bags/books, threatening gestures

  • Material possessions stolen or damaged/extortion
  • Verbal name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, teasing
  • Racist racial taunts, graffiti, gestures
  • Sexual unwanted physical contact or sexually abusive comments
  • Homophobic because of, or focussing on the issue of sexuality
  • Cyber use of internet, such as e-mail, internet chat sites e.g.

MSN, Bebo, Facebook. Mobile phone threats via text

messaging and calls. Misuse of associated technology

i.e. camera and video facilities

Bullying can be short-term, intermittent or continuous and constant unless dealt with promptly.

School Strategies/Prevention

Curriculum for Excellence seeks to make our pupils ‘Successful Learners’, ‘Confident Individuals’, ‘Responsible Citizens’ and ‘Effective Contributors’. Bullying behaviour directly contravenes these principles and is not only likely to deter victims of bullying from achieving these goals, but could have a highly detrimental effect on their overall health and wellbeing.

At every opportunity, pupils should be encouraged to form positive, courteous and respectful relationships towards others and this can be achieved in a variety of ways:

  • Student Tutor Sessions – including Circle Time
  • PSHE Inserts
  • Year Group Assemblies
  • Religious Education
  • Primary/Secondary Liaison programmes (Early Intervention)
  • Mentoring Schemes
  • Topics covered throughout the general curriculum
  • Tannoy announcements

At all times, pupils should be encouraged to report any incidents of bullying/racist behaviour to their Pastoral Care Teacher, Student Tutor, Year Group Head, School Counsellor of any other member of staff with whom they feel comfortable.

It is incumbent upon all members of staff to note any bullying or racist incident in the Bullying/ Racist school log books. Staff should also relay any suspicions or reports of bullying/racist incidents to the appropriate Principal Teacher of Pastoral Care and/or Depute Head Teacher.

All known/reported incidences of bullying or racism will be investigated by the appropriate member of staff and parents informed of the outcome. Additional support mechanisms will also be put in place e.g. Anger Management classes to deter the bully/bullies or racist(s) from re-offending and each case will be monitored to ensure repeated bullying/racism does not take place.

Monitoring and Evaluating

Each pupil who has been the victim of a bullying or racist incident will be re-interviewed no later than two weeks after the event by the appropriate Principal Teacher of Pastoral Care to ensure that the offending behaviour has ceased and to ascertain if the pupil requires any additional support beyond that which has already been provided.

The school will monitor incidences of bullying and racist behaviour throughout each term. The Depute Head responsible for Anti-Bullying/Anti-Racism will collate and retain in a central register the incidents recorded by each member of staff, Principal Teacher of Pastoral Care or Depute Head Teacher. This will be used to evaluate procedures outlined in the policy and to provide evidence of the extent of known bullying and racist behaviour within the school.

APPENDIX 1

Strategies for Pupils

  • Report any form of bullying or racism IMMEDIATELY to a member of staff – the longer you leave it – the worse it is likely to become
  • Remember that silence is the bully or racist’s greatest weapon!
  • Try not to show that you are upset – bullies and racists thrive on fear!
  • Be proud of who you are! Bullies and racists are often jealous of you and lack confidence in themselves – that’s why they pick on you
  • Stay with a group of friends – there is safety in numbers
  • You do not deserve to be bullied or be the target of racial abuse and the bully or racist must be stopped!
  • Walk confidently away and tell a member of staff straight away. Teachers will take you seriously
  • Fighting back may make things worse. If you feel there is no alternative e.g. if you have been physically attacked after school, talk to your teacher, parent or guardian to let them know the facts
  • Use the red ‘Bully Box,’ which is outside the school counsellor’s office. Simply take a card, fill in your name, tick the box that applies to you and post it in the Bully Box. Your problem will be dealt with immediately.

APPENDIX 2

Signs of Bullying or Racism and Advice for Parents/Guardians

Look for unusual behaviour in your child. For example, they may become withdrawn, not wish to attend school, truant, claim to feel ill regularly or not complete homework to the usual standard. They may become aggressive, disruptive and unreasonable and can stop eating or lose their appetite. Often children are frightened to say what is wrong and they can become jumpy, nervous and afraid to use the internet or answer phone calls. Lack of eye contact, stammering, short temper and a change in attitude towards people at home can also be signs that your child is being bullied or racially abused.

  • Always take an active part in your child’s education. Enquire how their day has gone, who they spent their time with, what they have spent their lunch money on etc.
  • If you feel that your child may be a victim of bullying or racist behaviour, inform the school immediately. Your information will be taken seriously, appropriate action will be taken and you will be informed of the outcome
  • It is important that you advise your child not to take matters into his/her own hands e.g. fighting back. This can often make matters worse
  • Tell your child that it is not their fault and emphasize that there is nothing wrong with them
  • Make your child fully aware that the school will deal with matters like bullying or racist behaviour in a sympathetic and circumspect manner, and that they should never be afraid to ask for help
  • If bullying or racist behaviour regularly occurs after school, inform the police, as the school does not have jurisdiction over matters which happen out with the school premises. However, we would appreciate any information on this in order to keep a look out for the safety of your child in school.

APPENDIX 3

Helplines
  • Childline – free 24 hour helpline for children and young people. Tel: 0800 1111.
  • Kidscape – run a telephone advice line exclusively for parents and carers giving advice about bullying. Tel: 08451 205 204 (10am-4pm weekdays).
  • Get Connected – free confidential helpline for young people (open 1pm-11pm every day). Tel: 0808 8084994.
  • Samaritans – helpline for those in distress, offering multi-channel support. Tel: 08457 90 90 90. Email: . SMS text: 07725 909090.
Useful websites
  • Childnet – a range of resources for primary and secondary schools, for children and young people, for teachers and for parents (
  • StopText bully – a website dedicated to mobile phone bullying, contains advice for young people including how to contact your operator (
  • Cyberbullying.org – one of the first websites set up in this area, for young people, providing advice around preventing and taking action against cyberbullying. A Canadian-based site (
  • Chatdanger – a website that informs about the potential dangers online (including bullying), and advice on how to stay safe while chatting (
  • Anti-Bullying Alliance – the Alliance brings together over 60 organisations into one network with the aim of reducing bullying. Their website has a parents section with links to recommended organisations who can help with bullying issues (
  • Many of the internet service providers, mobile phone companies and social networking sites have useful advice and safety tips for users and parents on their own websites.