 |
|
|
|
 |
|
||
 |
Quick Log On:
|
 |
|
 |
|
||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
  |
|
  |
||||||||
|
Bullying
- Is repetitive - prolonged over time
- Involves an imbalance of power
- May be verbal, physical, social or psychological
- May be an attitude rather than an "action".
Examples of Bullying
- Name-calling
- Hitting, punching or kicking
- Threatening
- Sending hurtful notes or emails
- Deliberately ignoring or excluding
- Teasing
- Rumour / Scandal mongering
- Interfering with the property of others
- Sexual innuendo and harassment
Objectives
- To raise awareness among staff, students and parents about bullying.
- To reduce the amount of bullying that occurs at Sacred Heart College.
- To assist students to resolve conflicts and differences without bullying.
- To create a school environment where all students and staff feel safe and welcome.
- To create a climate where it is okay to talk about bullying to people who can help, ie: parents, teachers, other
students.
At Sacred Heart College we have a hierarchy of responses to bullying. We begin with a problem solving approach where we try to resolve the issue between the bully and the bullier. If this does not stop the bullying, we then use the more formal procedure in our School Harassment Policy. Consequences for the bully may then include meeting with the Dean of Students and parents to investigate the situation, detention, suspension, or ultimately, exclusion.
Strategies that will be used to deter Bullies
- Awareness raising exercises in the curriculum about the impact of bullying and conflict resolution.
- Small group and individual counselling of victims of bullying.
- Counselling of students who bully others and encouragement for them to change their behaviour.
- A hierarchy of appropriate responses developed to apply to particular situations.
- Active supervision of the yard and school bus stop by teachers.
- Professional Development programme's for teachers.
- Parent Education programme's
Strategies that may be used for students being bullied
- Ignore the bullying/bully – show that you are not going to be upset by it.
- Stay away from the bully, or places where bullying occurs
- Be with supportive friends.
- Use a sense of humour.
- Be assertive – stand up for yourself by telling the bully to stop.
- Tell a friend, or talk it over with an older student (eg. your buddy, a Prefect).
- Tell an adult that you are being bullied e: parent, teacher, Chaplain, College Psychologist. They will help you
make a plan to deal with the bullying.
Strategies that may be used by students if they are aware of someone being bullied
- If possible, you could intervene as the bullying occurs by telling the bully to stop. This is very useful if you have influence with the bully.
- Refuse to join in with the bullying.
- Support students who are being bullied – just standing by them can be enough.
- Tell an adult if you are concerned about the bullying.
Information for Parents
If your child reports being teased, intimidated or threatened (verbally or physically), treat the concern seriously. Children's perspectives are very different from adults. What adults perceive as minor incidents may be very distressing for children. Encourage your child to talk about how she/he is feeling about the situation. Remind your child that nothing is so awful that they cannot talk with someone about it.
Please contact your child's Form Teacher, Dean of Students or a College Psychologist if you detect any signs of unhappiness in your child or if you are concerned about aggressive, intimidating or anti-social behaviour that your child is exhibiting.
Please be assured that the matter will be dealt with in a sensitive and caring manner. The College is anxious to support families.
A range of brochures and pamphlets is available through the College Psychologist for teachers and parents, as well as students.
Responses to Bullying at Sacred Heart College
Briefly, the following steps can be used by the Dean of Students or Psychologist:
Step One – Interview with the victim
When the Dean of Students/Psychologist finds out that bullying has happened he/she begins by speaking to the victim about his/her feelings. He/she does not question him/her about the incidents but does inquire as to who was involved.
Step Two – Convene a meeting with the people involved
The Dean of Students/Psychologist arranges to meet with the group of students who were involved. This may include some bystanders or colluders who joined in but did not initiate any bullying. Generally a group of six to eight young people works well.
Step Three – Explain the problem
The Dean of Students/Psychologist tells them about the way the victim is feeling and might use a poem, piece of writing or a drawing to emphasise his/her distress. Details of the incidents are not generally discussed nor is blame allocated to the group.
Step Four – Share responsibility
The Dean of Students/Psychologist does not attribute blame but states that he/she knows that the group is responsible and can do something about it.
Step Five – Ask the group for their ideas
Each member of the group is encouraged to suggest a way in which the victim could be helped to feel happier. The Dean of Students/Psychologist gives some positive responses but does not usually go on to extract a promise of improved behaviour.
Step Six – Leave it up to them
The Dean of Students/Psychologist ends the meeting by passing over the responsibility to the group to solve the problem. He/she arranges to meet with them again to see how things are going.
Step Seven – Meet them again
About a week later the Dean of Students/Psychologist discusses with each student, including the victim, how things have been going. This allows the Dean of Students/Psychologist to monitor the bullying and keep the students involved in the process.
