Scoil Éanna Anti-Bullying Policy Background The role of our school, or for that matter any school, is to provide the highest possible standard of care and education for all its pupils. A stable, secure learning environment is essential to achieve this goal. Bullying behaviour by its very nature undermines and dilutes the quality of education and imposes psychological damage. As such, it is an issue which must positively and firmly be addressed through a range of school-based measures and strategies through which all members of the school community are enabled to act effectively and coherently with this behaviour. Bullying behaviour affects everyone in the school and in the wider community. It thrives in an atmosphere of uncertainty and secrecy where the victim often feels a sense of hopelessness and futility against the power being exercised by the bully. To counter-act this, and to undermine the power of the bully, a high degree of collective vigilance is needed throughout the school. Only then can the bully be identified properly and dealt with fairly, consistently and in an equitable manner. With all of the above in mind, the Board of Management of Scoil Éanna adopts the following strategy to deal with bullying behaviour and its consequences. This document has been drafted, during the Spring term 2004, with the help of the Department of Education and Science guidelines, the North Eastern Health Board, the Parents’ Association, all staff and the Board of Management. Definition of Bullying Bullying is repeated aggression - verbal, psychological or physical – conducted by an individual or group against other individuals or groups. Isolated incidents of aggressive behaviour, which should not be condoned, can scarcely be described as bullying. However, when the behaviour is systematic and ongoing it is BULLYING. Types of Bullying a. Pupil behaviour 1. Physical Aggression: This includes pushing, shoving, punching, kicking, poking and tripping. It can also take the form of physical assault. The scenarios of “messin’ fights” “horse play” etc. are often used as a disguise for physical harassment or inflicting pain. The latter examples need to be clearly identified as unacceptable. (Present mainly among boys) 2. Damage to Property: This is not vandalism; rather it is when personal property, clothing, books, school bags, lunches etc. are interfered with, broken, defaced, stolen or hidden. 3. Extortion: Demands are made on the victim, often accompanied by a threat. Victims may be forced into wrong-doing by the bully, sometimes fro the sole purpose of in- criminating the victim. 1 4. Intimidation: Aggressive body-language, voice tone or inflection. Particularly upsetting to a victim is the so-called “look” – a facial expression which conveys aggression and/or dislike. 5. Isolation: The victim is deliberately isolated, excluded and ignored by some or all of the class. This is usually initiated by the bully. It may be accompanied by writing insulting remarks, a whispering campaign, passing notes etc. (Present mostly among girls) 6. Name calling: Persistent name calling directed at the same individual, who is hurt, insulted or humiliated. References to physical appearance or clothing; ‘slagging’ is a behaviour which usually starts in a good natured fashion but can easily descend into bullying. Personal remarks on appearance, clothing, hygiene, nature of ones family etc. are all forms of bullying. 7. Bullying of School Personnel: Any and all behaviours which involve the above are bullying. 8. Abusive phone calls: Abusive and anonymous calls are a form of verbal intimidation or bullying. This behaviour is mainly directed against teachers who are victimised by the bully. b. Teacher Behaviour A teacher may, unwittingly or otherwise, engage in, instigate or reinforce bullying behaviour in a number of ways:- Using sarcasm, insults, demeaning or aggressive forms of language when addressing pupils. Making negative comments about a pupil’s appearance or background are particularly devastating forms of bullying. Humiliating, directly or indirectly, a pupil who is academically weak/outstanding or vulnerable in other ways. Using gestures or expressions of a threatening or intimidatory nature, or any form of degrading physical contact or exercise. Being inconsistent/biased in the application of classroom or school rules. At no time may a student be removed to an unsupervised location by a class teacher. It must be stressed that teachers are the main axis through which bullying behaviour is eradicated. It stands to reason therefore that if there is a general relaxation of vigilance and poor implementation of anti-bullying practices then this form of anti-social behaviour will flourish. Indications of bullying – signs and symptoms The following signs/symptoms may suggest that bullying is taking place:- Anxiety about travelling to and from school; Unwillingness to go to school, absenteeism; Deterioration of educational performance, loss of concentration, enthusiasm, interest in school; Pattern of physical illness…headaches, stomach aches etc.; Unexplained mood changes or behaviour changes – very noticeable before returning to school after weekends or vacations; 2 Visible signs of anxiety or distress – stammering, withdrawing, nightmares and difficulty in sleeping, crying, not eating, vomiting, bed-wetting. Spontaneous out-of-character comments about pupils or teachers; Possessions missing or damaged; Increased requests for money or stealing money; Unexplained bruising or cuts or damaged clothing; Reluctance to communicate what is troubling him/her. It should be stressed that these signs do not automatically mean a pupil is being bullied. However, repeated occurrences or a combination of a number of the above warrants serious investigation in order to establish cause and effect for the pupil. Characteristics of Bullying Behaviour Our school needs to recognise the fact that any pupil and/or teacher can be a victim or a perpetrator of bullying behaviour. The Victim Any pupil through no fault of their own may be bullied. Somewhere in the normal course of play a line can be crossed which leads to bullying behaviour. Determining when play stops and bullying begins is difficult but by no means impossible. As pupils are particularly quick to notice differences in others, those who are perceived as different are more prone to bullying. Those most at risk are those who react in a vulnerable and distressed manner. The seriousness and duration of the bullying behaviour is directly related to the pupil’s continuing response to the verbal, physical or psychological aggression. It should also be noted that some pupils can unwittingly behave in a very provocative manner which attracts bullying behaviour. The Bully It is generally accepted that bullying is a learned behaviour. Pupils who bully tend to display aggressive attitudes combined with low self discipline. They can lack a sense of remorse; often they convince themselves that the victim deserves all he/she gets. Pupils who bully can also seek attention, look to impress, evoke a reaction. They tend to lack empathy. They are unaware or indifferent to their victim’s feelings. They can also gain enjoyment from their actions. It is noteworthy that most bullies suffer from a lack of confidence and low self-esteem. NOTE: It is not uncommon that a bully has sometime in the past been a victim. Where does Bullying happen? PUPIL BEHAVIOUR At home, at school, at play! Bullying most frequently takes place in the yard. Many games provide the opportunity to mask bullying behaviour. The school yard is where the bully is most secure and the victim is most vulnerable. In the school building, toilets, hallways and classrooms are other noteworthy areas. In all areas of the school, careful monitoring needs to take place. 3 Classroom bullying is usually more covert and secretive. “Glances, looks, sniggers and derogatory comments” may all form part of bullying. Teachers need to be alert to the underlying reasons for such actions or words and must make it their constant care to address a suspicion of bullying taking place. Going to and from school is another area for concern. TEACHER BEHAVIOUR Teacher behaviour of a bullying nature, already referred to in the above section, is most likely to take place in the classroom. However, it may also take place in other parts of the school. Prevention of Bullying The prevention of bullying should be an integral part of the school’s code of behaviour and discipline. This document and the procedures outlined hereafter will be adopted by the Board of Management and therefore come into existence as part of school policy and Our code of behaviour should be considered in this context – that the school is a community in which mutual respect, co-operation and natural justice are integral features. Who is responsible for prevention? Ultimate responsibility lies with the Board of Management. Management, staff and parents must be clear on the policy aims and procedures/strategies to deal with bullying behaviour. This policy must also be continuously assessed and promoted. Appended to this document, therefore, are the following policies, procedures, rules and regulations involved in dealing with bullying behaviour in the school. This appendix includes the following sections:- (a) School policy aims; (b) Procedures for detecting bullying behaviour; (c) Procedures for dealing with (noting, recording and investigating) bullying behaviour; (d) Programmes for working with victims, bullies and their peers; (e) Procedures for working with other local agencies for countering bullying behaviour; (f) Continuous evaluation of the effectiveness of the school policy. Prevention of and Addressing Bullying Behaviour School Policy It is the aim of our school to actively and positively address the issues of bullying and other anti-social activities. Underpinning all endeavours to address such issues is a positive school climate. It is our intention to have an aggressive procedural base to deal with bullying. This intention is to be pursued rigorously at all times and in all areas of school life.