HAMILTON PUBLIC SCHOOL
ANTI-BULLYING POLICY
POLICY AREA: Student Welfare
PURPOSE:
· Effectively manage the present levels of bullying within the school
· Prevent future incidences of bullying
RATIONALE:
Hamilton Public School does not tolerate bullying or harassment. Bullying is anti-social, and has no place at our school.
Hamilton Public School is committed to providing a safe and caring environment, while encouraging respect for others. All people entering the school have a right to feel safe and free to express them selves without fear of persecution.
It is the responsibility of every member of the school community to maintain these ideas, and ensure that bullying is not accepted under any circumstance.
This policy will:
· Define bullying
· Identify strategies for all of the school community to use as a means of preventing bullying within the school
· Identify the responsibilities of the students, staff and parents in relation to bullying
· Outline the schools processes of responding to bullies and bullying
DEFINITION:
Bullying can be defined as intentional, repeated behaviour by an individual or group that causes distress, hurt or undue pressure.
Bullying can take on many forms and can be allocated into the following areas:
· Verbal
· Physical
· Social
· Psychological
BULLYING
RESPONSIBILITY:
All members of the school community (students, parents/caregivers and teachers) have the responsibility to take positive and consistent actions to deal effectively with bullying.
Student responsibilities:
· To show respect, consideration and support of others
· To “report” if they are being bullied or if they see someone being bullied – both at school and on the way to and from school
· To attempt to use learnt strategies to deal with bullying incidents
Staff responsibilities:
· To model appropriate behaviour at all times
· To monitor and track incidences of bullying and take appropriate action as per ‘consequences of bullying’ (listed below).
· To explicitly teach school programs which promote positive relationships that incorporate strategies to deal with bullying
· To communicate bullying incidents with parents when needed
Parent responsibilities:
· To support the school’s Anti-Bullying Policy
· To take an active role in their child’s school life
· To encourage their child to adopt learnt strategies to deal with bullying
· To instruct their child to “tell” if they are bullied
· To report to the school if any bullying is suspected and not approach individual students at school about bullying
STRATEGIES TO PREVENT AND DEAL WITH BULLYING BEHAVIOUR
It is vital that we take action. Taking action stops bullying. Silence and secrecy nurtures bullying.
Strategies for students:
· Stay in sight of peers and adults
· Try to stay calm. Practise keeping calm and walking away.
· Try to show you are not upset. Practise this.
· Look at the person. Try to speak in a strong voice. Say something like “You might think that but I don’t” or “Why are you doing this?”
· Use an “I” message. Express your feelings in an assertive way e.g. “I want you to stop” or “Please don’t do that, I don’t like it”
· Walk away quietly without looking back.
· Go to a safe place e.g. with other children; near a teacher
· Talk to someone who can help you. Tell them what has happened, how you feel and what they can do to help. This is not “dobbing”!
· Use humour if appropriate.
Strategies for staff:
· Teach strategies across KLA’s
· Consistently promote respectful relationships
· Encourage whole school community to recognise and respond appropriately to bullying, harassment and victimisation.
· Provide programs that promote resilience, life and social skill, assertiveness, conflict resolution and problem solving.
· Conduct bullying surveys (students, parents, teachers) and regular evaluation
· Display a clearly stated poster both in-class and on the playground outlining consequences for those students who engage in bullying
Strategies for parents:
If your child is being bullied –
§ Listen carefully to your child.
§ Assure your child that it is not their fault
§ Stay calm
§ Get accurate details
§ Give your child some strategies to cope. Practise the strategies with your child.
§ If your child is different in some way, help them to be proud of their differences.
§ If the problem persists seek assistance from the class teacher.
§ If the problem continues seek support from Assistant Principals and the Principal.
§ Encourage your child to seek help in the playground, from older children, the school leaders or a teacher.
If your child is bullying others –
§ Initially you will be defensive and unbelieving. This is natural.
§ Find out all the facts preferably from the school. Telephoning other parents can stir up a lot of unnecessary concern.
§ Talk to your child but do not blame.
§ Emphasise that bullying is not acceptable in your family.
§ Role play alternative behaviours.
§ Seek assistance from school or health professionals.
§ Be specific re consequences for continuing unacceptable behaviours.
§ Reward appropriate behaviour.
REPORTING OF BULLYING
Children and their parents/caregivers can report instances of bullying to any teacher, school support staff or the principal verbally or in written form. School staff are then responsible for implementing appropriate programs to manage the behaviour.
All incidents of bullying will be reported and recorded regularly at Staff and Stage Meetings, where all concerns are raised and acknowledged. Supervisors will take these to executive and/or welfare meetings. A register will be maintained to monitor the effectiveness of the program and reduce instances.
CONSEQUENCES OF BULLYING
· Restitution for the victim
· Time out of playground
· Repeated incidents – recorded on student’s welfare file
· Minor and major incident consequences as per Student Welfare Policy
· Strategies for the bully
· Letter home to parents
· Referral to School Counsellor or Itinerant Support teacher Behaviour
· Violence may result in suspension (see Student Welfare Policy)
· When serious incidents occur the school may need to inform the police
CYBER-BULLYING
Cyber-bullying is an intentional, repeated behaviour by an individual or group to cause distress or undue pressure to others using technology. Today’s technology allows children to communicate instantly with others in both positive and negative ways. Cyber-bullying includes all communications that seek to threaten, humiliate, intimidate, control or put another person down. Cyber-bullying will not be tolerated at Hamilton Public School and students who participate in this form of bullying will receive consequences as listed above.
The school follows the DEC Technology Code of Conduct and will ensure that the students know, understand and follow this code. It is important that parents also monitor their child’s use of technology at home to ensure they are not participating or are a victim of cyber-bullying.
The Department of Education monitors all e-mails from schools and can track inappropriate messages back to the machine and time of use. The school is then contacted to investigate these breaches. No student should share their individual password with another student.
EVALUATION
· Teachers as a whole will monitor the results of the reporting processes and prevention strategies.
· This process will help the school community evaluate the impact the program has on classroom/playground behaviour and the overall atmosphere of the learning environment.
· It will ensure that instances are being followed up with parents where necessary, and ensure that problems are resolved effectively.
· Review strategies to see where alterations can be made to suit.
· Ensure that the procedure follows the guidelines mentioned in the Student Welfare Policy and School Discipline policy.
July, 2013.