Prudhoe Castle First School Castle Road Prudhoe Northumberland NE42 6PH
Telephone: 01661 833122 Head Teacher: Mrs Tammy Allen Email: [email protected] Website: www.prudhoe.eschools.co.uk
ANTI BULLYING POLICY
June 2016
Introduction Bullying may be defined as the abuse of power by an individual or group with the intent to cause distress to another individual or group. It is deliberately hurtful behavior which may be physical, sexual, verbal or psychological in nature. It is repeated over a period of time on those who feel powerless to resist with the intention of causing distress.
Bullying should always be taken seriously. All bullying is unacceptable.
Bullying does not only occur between children. The above definition can also be seen to characterize some relationships between adults or between adults and children.
In more serious instances where adults abuse their power over a child or a child abuses their power over another child, bullying may be viewed as child abuse (see Child Protection Policy) and should be treated as such.
Bullying is deliberately hurtful – it typically has seven elements: An initial desire to hurt The desire is expressed in action Someone is hurt either physically or emotionally There is an imbalance of power It is without justification It is typically repeated There is evident enjoyment by those who bully
Bullying can also stem from thoughtlessness, such as in name calling or stem from institutionalized attitudes, for example in relation to gender or race. That does not make it any less acceptable.
Bullying can typically take three forms:
1. Physical Bullying – hitting, kicking, taking belongings 2. Verbal Bullying – name calling, insulting, making offensive remarks 3. Indirect Bullying – spreading nasty stories, exclusion from social groups
Name calling is the most common direct form. This may be because of individual characteristics. However, pupils can be called names because of their ethnic origin, nationality or colour, sexual orientation or some form of disability.
Bullying is always significant to the person being bullied.
Those who are being bullied may experience: Unhappiness A sense of desolation and in some cases, desperation Reduced self-esteem and self worth Poor academic performance Exclusion from normal social experience A strong desire to escape the situation which may result in absconding or truanting A desire to self harm or even commit suicide
Those who are bullied are often reluctant to say what is wrong or to seek help.
Rationale Prudhoe Castle First School should be a safe, happy place for every child. Bullying behaviour is persistent and subversive harassing of one child, or group of children, by another or group of others. Bullying is an infringement of liberty and the school’s equal opportunities policy means that everyone has the same basic rights of freedom, regardless of biological inheritance or circumstances of birth, gender, race, disability or age.
Creating a positive ethos in school is the most effective way of trying to keep bullying to a minimum. Where bullying is detected or reported it will be dealt with sensitively and seriously. Bullying is a complex problem and needs to be taken seriously. Every opportunity is taken to reinforce the positive ethos of the school so that children have high self-esteem and bullying is kept to a minimum.
Aims To ensure that every child feels safe and confident in all areas of the school and to reduce opportunities for children to bully others. To ensure all children have adults they can relate to so incidents of bullying are dealt with immediately. To ensure that all staff are made aware of any allegations of bullying so steps can be taken to minimise opportunities. To have a school environment where issues of concern to children are discussed, including bullying. To ensure all children understand bullying is not acceptable. To ensure there is a system of positive reinforcement of good behaviour. To ensure parents understand the schools’ attitude to bullying and to create an environment where parents will inform school of any concerns. To ensure parents are kept informed of action taken to stop incidents of bullying
Guidelines Staff have responsibility for discipline and there should be adequate supervision at all times of the school day and in all areas of the school. There are clear codes of conduct in the behaviour policy and all children are expected to adhere to them. Any complaints of bullying will be recorded, and the appropriate action taken and the Headteacher informed (see Appendix One). A member of staff will observe and check on both the victim and the person accused of bullying regularly throughout playtimes.
There will always be at least 2 adults on the yard during playtimes and lunchtimes. Any incidents will be reported to the class teacher who will keep Mrs Allen informed of any suspected cases of bullying. Children will always be encouraged to tell an adult if they feel others are being unkind to them. Children’s complaints will be investigated carefully, appropriate action taken and, where appropriate, the outcome recorded.
All staff will be informed of allegations of bullying so they will be able to observe the children concerned when on yard duty.
PSHE and citizenship lessons will be used to reinforce messages about the way to behave towards others. If there is an issue of bullying in a particular class, extra PSHE lessons will be given to address the concern. Depending on the age of the children, this may be through group activities or story telling where bullying is part of the plot. Bullies will be encouraged to see the victim’s point of view.
The strong feelings held against bullying by adults should be made very clear to children and parents so they are willing to report any incidents to an adult in school. Education about bullying starts from the day children enter this school by having strategies and responses in place for parents and children.
Confirmed incidents of bullying will be reported to the parents of the person accused of bullying.
Definition of Cyber Bullying
Cyber-bullying is an aggressive, intentional act carried out by a group or individual using electronic forms of contact repeatedly over time against a victim who cannot easily defend himself/herself.
By cyber-bullying, we mean bullying by electronic media such as:
Bullying by texts or messages or calls on mobile phones The use of mobile phone cameras to cause distress, fear or humiliation Posting threatening, abusive, defamatory or humiliating material on websites, to include blogs, personal websites, social networking sites Using e-mail to message others Hijacking/cloning e-mail accounts Making threatening, abusive, defamatory or humiliating remarks on social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc
Policy
Prudhoe Castle First School educates its pupils both in the proper use of telecommunications and about the serious consequences of cyber-bullying and will, through PSHE and in ICT lessons and assemblies, continue to inform and educate its pupils in these fast changing areas.
Prudhoe Castle First School trains its staff to respond effectively to reports of cyber-bullying or harassment and has systems in place to respond to it. Prudhoe Castle First School endeavours to block access to inappropriate web sites, using firewalls, antivirus protection and filtering systems and no pupil is allowed to work on the internet in the Computer Room, or any other location within the school which may from time to time be used for such work, without a member of staff present. Where appropriate and responsible, Prudhoe Castle First School audits ICT communications and regularly reviews the security arrangements in place.
Whilst education and guidance remain at the heart of what we do, Prudhoe Castle First School reserves the right to take action against those who take part in cyber-bullying.
All bullying is damaging but cyber-bullying and harassment can be invasive of privacy at all times. These acts may also be criminal acts. Prudhoe Castle First School supports victims and, when necessary, will work with the Police to detect those involved in criminal acts. Prudhoe Castle First School will follow the guidelines as set out in the behavior policy for those pupils who bully fellow pupils or harass staff in this way, both in and out of school. All members of the School community are aware they have a duty to bring to the attention of the Head or the E-Safety officer any example of cyber-bullying or harassment that they know about or suspect.
Guidance for Staff
If you suspect or are told about a cyber-bullying incident, follow the protocol outlined below:
Mobile Phones
Ask the pupil to show you the mobile phone Note clearly everything on the screen relating to an inappropriate text message or image, to include the date, time and names Make a transcript of a spoken message, again record date, times and names Tell the pupil to save the message/image Inform a member of the Senior Leadership team and pass them the information that you have
Computers
Ask the pupil to get up on-screen the material in question Ask the pupil to save the material Print off the offending material straight away Make sure you have got all pages in the right order and that there are no omissions Inform a member of the Senior Leadership team and pass them the information that you have Normal procedures to interview pupils and to take statements will then be followed particularly if a child protection issue is presented.
Guidance for Pupils
If you believe you or someone else is the victim of cyber-bullying, you must speak to an adult as soon as possible. This person could be a parent/guardian, or a member of staff at Prudhoe Castle First School.
Do not answer abusive messages but save them and report them Do not delete anything until it has been shown to your parents/guardian or a member of staff at Prudhoe Castle First School (even if it is upsetting, the material is important evidence which may need to be used later as proof of cyber-bullying) Do not give out personal IT details Never reply to abusive e-mails Never reply to someone you do not know Stay in public areas in chat rooms
Guidance for Parents
It is vital that parents and the school work together to ensure that all pupils are aware of the serious consequences of getting involved in anything that might be seen to be cyber-bullying. Prudhoe Castle First School informs parents of the cyber-bullying policy and the procedures in place to deal with cyber-bullying.
Parents can help by making sure their child understands the school’s policy and, above all, how seriously Prudhoe Castle First School takes incidents of cyber-bullying Parents should also explain to their children legal issues relating to cyber-bullying If parents believe their child is the victim of cyber-bullying, they should save the offending material (if need be by saving an offensive text on their or their child’s mobile phone) and make sure they have all relevant information before deleting anything Parents should contact the school as soon as possible. A meeting can then be arranged with a member of the Senior Leadership Team
If the incident falls in the holidays Prudhoe Castle First School reserves the right to take action against bullying perpetrated outside the school which spills over into the school.
E-Safety at Home
Several sites offer helpful advice to parents, particularly with respect to how they can best monitor their child’s use of the computer at home. Important and useful information can be found on the following site: www.nextgenerationlearning.org.uk/safeguarding-learners/Safeguarding-learners-content/Parents-and- carers
ICT Code of Conduct
This is displayed in prominently in the ICT Room and the Code of Conduct is explained and discussed with pupils in assemblies, PSHE classes and ICT classes.
National Bodies
Further support and guidance may be obtained from the following: http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/ http://www.childnet.com/ https://www.nspcc.org.uk/ https://ceop.police.uk/
Specific advice for parents and carers: http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-and-resources/parents-and-carers http://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/
Appendix 1
Bullying is any form of sustained intimidation of another person. The intimidation can be physical aggression, extortion, verbal harassment or threats. It is not necessarily “rough play.” It is always prudent to establish the cause of retaliatory violence before condemning the perpetrator. The person who bullies and the victim are both in need of support. Bullying can be constant, regular, intermittent or infrequent. Bullying can be between child and child, adult and adult, adult and child or child and adult. A smaller person can bully a bigger person and a younger person can bully an older person. This could result in a LADO referral. Bullying, when observed, must be challenged and dealt with seriously.
It is important not to take an aggressive attitude to bullies. This gives children the message that it is OK to bully as long as you have the power.
Indicators Possible change in victim’s behaviour Change in the victim’s routine Attitude change in the victim to their work, other individuals or school, in any particular way Increased aggression on the part of the bully. All staff should realize that the victim’s of bullying, the victim’s family may feel many emotions e.g. helplessness, shame, disappointment, embarrassment, disappointment, despair, failure, anxiety, inadequacy, dismay or confusion.
When Bullying is Reported: Ensure child is not physically hurt, whilst acknowledging that whether injured or not, their feelings and perceptions are important. Show concern, with the bully present if possible Give time before questioning Try to restore the victim’s self confidence Assure the victim you will do everything possible to stop the bullying Discuss with victim and bully Involve parents. Inform Head Teacher Seek support of SENCO/ outside agencies in promoting classroom activities to reduce bullying. Sanctions, where appropriate, should be in line with the school’s behaviour policy. Positive reinforcement of good behaviour is more effective than punishment. Parents need to have the policy made clear.
Appendix 2
The following steps should be taken when bullying is encountered.
The class teacher, in the presence of the victim at some stage, interviews the alleged perpetrator. An amicable solution is suggested which supports the victim and informs the bully. Young children who are bullying are sometimes unaware of the impact of their actions on others. When the distress is pointed out bullying will usually stop.) If the child continues to bully others, the Head Teacher will interview the children concerned and parents will be informed. If bullying continues, parents will be asked to come to school for a meeting. In extreme cases the child may be sent home. If there is no change in behaviour a fixed term exclusion will be put in place. If bullying still continues, contact will be made the Educational Psychologist so a referral can be made to the Behaviour Support Team. In the case of very serious incidents the Governing Body may consider a permanent exclusion in line with County guidelines.