ANTI-BULLYING POLICY DOCUMENT

Duns Primary School

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www.schoolethos.net	The School Ethos Database is a joint initiative of the Scottish Schools Ethos Network and the Anti-Bullying Network, which are funded by the Scottish Executive. It aims to provide teachers, parents and others with information about organisations, resources and strategies that will assist them in promoting a positive school ethos.
www.antibullying.net	The Anti-Bullying Network
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ANTI-BULLYING

Information for Parents

CONTENTS

Introduction
Aims	Dealing with incidents
What is bullying?	Anti-Bullying Action
Who is involved?	Roles and Responsibilities
Where and when does bullying take place?	Conclusion
Appendix 1: Signs of Bullying
Appendix 2: Bullying Report

Our thanks to Wilton Primary School and Hawick Area Schools
on whose policy this document is based.

Personal and Social Education

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Introduction

Bullying in one form or another occurs in every school. Duns Primary School is no exception. During session 1997/98 the school produced an anti-bullying policy which gives guidance to staff on the procedures to be used when dealing with bullying. The policy also describes ways in which we can minimise the incidence of bullying.

This document for parents was produced at the same time because any school’s approach to bullying will be unsuccessful if it does not have the support of parents. The document has two main purposes:

to give information about the school's approach to bullying
to suggest ways in which you, as parents, can support the school’s approach

The full school policy statement on which this document is based is available on request.

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Aims of the School Policy

Each child has a right to a safe and secure education so our main aim is to ensure that all pupils can work and play in an atmosphere which is conducive to their personal and social well-being and to their educational development. Other aims are:

to establish procedures which will ensure an effective response to incidents of bullying
to ensure that all incidences of bullying are dealt with fairly and consistently
to encourage openness among pupils about all forms of bullying
to take preventative measures against bullying
to raise awareness about bullying among school staff, pupils and parents

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What Is Bullying?

Bullying is the wilful, conscious desire to hurt, threaten, frighten or upset someone else. It can take different forms:

physical assault or the threat of assault
the taking of money or possessions
name calling or persistent teasing
being shunned or isolated by others

Whatever form it takes, bullying is very hurtful, can cause misery for some children and can lead to a deterioration in school progress or a desire to stay away from school.

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Who is Involved?

The Bully

The bully is someone who attempts to exercise power over someone else. Any child can be a bully. Stereotyping bullies can be misleading.

It should be recognised that bullies, too, have real difficulties and we have a responsibility to educate them. In many cases, bullies have themselves been the victims of bullying.

The Victim

The victim is the bully's target - anyone can be a victim. Although there are children who seem to attract bullying throughout their school lives there is no rule to this. However, children at particular risk include those who:

are new to the class or school
are different in appearance, speech or background from other pupils
suffer from low self esteem or are timid, nervous or anxious
are 'show-offs' or loud-mouthed
demonstrate 'entertaining' reactions when bullied eg tantrums, loss of control
have special needs - children whose needs arise from obvious physical factors are rarely bullied. However, those whose needs are intellectual only are at much greater risk

Of course, the victim may simply be the child who is in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Observers

Those who witness bullying without taking any helpful action also contribute to the problem as they are condoning, if not encouraging, bullying.

Other Pupils

Even children who are not directly involved with bullying may also be affected as dealing with incidents often consumes a great deal of their learning time and can adversely affect the atmosphere in the class.

School Staff

School staff are responsible for taking effective action in incidences of bullying. They also have a duty to take preventative measures. Both of these roles are described in more detail later in this document.

Parents - of both bullies and victims

You have several roles and responsibilities in this area (see page 5, Roles and Responsibilities).

Others

In some cases, others outwith the school may also be involved eg the police, Social Work Department

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Where and when does bullying take place?

In the majority of cases incidences of bullying occur in the school playground at morning break, at lunchtime or at the end of the school day.

Bullying can also take place between school and home at the end of the day or on school buses.

Incidences of bullying on the way from home to school in the morning are extremely rare.

Bullying may also occur in the classroom. This is very rare and such cases are generally verbal or social in their nature.

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Dealing With Incidents

In nearly all cases the school’s response to incidents will follow a similar pattern:

The Incident

In many cases the incident will have already taken place before it comes to the attention of any school staff. However in some cases a member of staff will need to intervene more directly. The first priority for staff is to stop the bullying as quickly as possible. In line with guidance from Scottish Borders Council, staff should only use physical restraint when they are sure that this is the only way to prevent someone being injured.

Incident

Reports of Bullying

Investigation

Action

Reports of Bullying

These may come from children, parents or school supervisory staff. All should be taken seriously.

Please encourage your children to report incidents when they have been bullied. They should also be encouraged to report bullying which they have observed. They should, however, be discouraged from 'tale-telling' and should be helped to make judgements about the seriousness of the incident and whether it is worth reporting. We must accept that this is a difficult judgement for children to make and that there will be cases when a report is not followed up.

Parents too should report incidents of bullying to the school as, in some cases, the school may be unaware of a problem. There are several ways things to bear in mind:

incidents should be reported as soon as possible so that the details are still fresh in the minds of those involved
please find out as many of the details as possible eg who was involved, when and where the bullying took place, whether any previous problem has existed between the children concerned and whether there were any 'witnesses'
it is helpful if you try to keep an open mind with regard to the rights and wrongs of any bullying incident prior to an investigation. Children often mis-report incidents and are particularly likely to omit information which shows them in a bad light. This is not necessarily a deliberate attempt to tell lies but is simply their view of events. Experience has proved that the 'accused' often has a completely different story to tell!

In many cases, supervisory staff will be able to deal with incidents directly. However where more serious or persistent bullying has happened, the appropriate class teacher and a member of the senior staff will be informed.

Investigation

Once a report of bullying has been received, a judgement must be made as to whether it merits further investigation. This judgement will be based on the nature of the report and the teacher’s knowledge of the individuals involved. If there is any doubt then an investigation will be conducted. This will inevitably take time so a balance has to be found between the seriousness of the incident and the time lost in class.

Usually an investigation will involve an interview with those directly involved and any ‘witnesses’.

Where the incident is serious, the main details will be written down by the person conducting the investigation (see Appendix 2: Bullying Report, p 7). This is particularly important where two or more different versions of events have been given by those involved. Reports will be filed in the office once the incident has been dealt with.

It will be made clear throughout an investigation that no-one will be judged ‘guilty’ until all the ‘evidence’ has been gathered.

Action

Taking action assumes that a guilty party has been identified. Action taken should relate to the nature of the incident and the outcome of the investigation.

School staff will:

take action as quickly as possible
let bullies know that they regard the incident as a serious matter and that they thoroughly disapprove of their actions
reassure the victim(s) who may well feel upset, inadequate or embarrassed
offer concrete help, advice and support to the victim(s). For example school staff will let them know that any recurrence should be reported immediately
encourage bullies to see the victim's point of view perhaps by asking them to imagine how they would have felt as the victim
where required, take action against bullies in ways which are fitting in relation to the incident. School staff are aware that reacting aggressively or over-punitively gives the message that it's acceptable to bully if you have the power
explain the punishment clearly and why it is being given. It is helpful if bullies agree that they have been at fault
inform a member of the senior staff and/or others eg playground supervisor
consult with a member of the senior staff if parents are to be informed
make it clear to all concerned that the matter is closed although bullies should also be clear that any future recurrence will be dealt with more severely

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Anti-Bullying Action

The following paragraphs outline some of the preventative measures which can help to reduce the incidence of bullying.

Recognising bullying

Pupils, staff and parents should be clear about what is meant by the term bullying. It cannot be assumed that everyone has a shared understanding. For example, many bullies claim that they are not, in fact, bullying - 'I was just playing' or 'I was only joking' are regular excuses.

All pupils must recognise that bullying is unacceptable.

Reinforcement of this point should be a recurring part of every child’s school experience.

It is important that all school staff look out for signs of bullying (see Appendix 1, p 6) and that they react decisively. Parents too should be aware of signs of bullying and encourage openness.

Raising awareness

There are a number of ways in which awareness of bullying will be promoted:

to pupils - during class time (often following an incident), school assemblies, as part of Personal and Social Development and Religious and Moral Education
to school staff - during in-service days (as appropriate), staff meetings and via normal staff information and discussion
to all parents - via newsletters, school handbook, the Duns PS Website, parents’ meetings, the PTA and School Board and this document
to parents of victims or bullies - where there has been contact with parents following an incident
to new intake parents - at enrolment and pre-school meetings
via other agencies - eg community policeman speaking to classes/group

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Roles and Responsibilities

All school staff should:

be on the look out for signs of bullying at any time in any part of the school
respond immediately to any incidences of bullying which they observe directly
encourage pupils to tell their parents and/or their class teacher if they are being bullied

Class teachers should:

ensure that all pupils in their class know the school's policy on bullying
inform new pupils of the policy
discuss, from time to time, the topic of bullying with their class, making clear what the school means by bullying
devise activities designed to promote good relationships as part of the Personal and Social Development (PSD) programme
encourage speaking out by pupils, stressing that, where appropriate, confidentiality and discretion are observed by all staff
deal with incidents, particularly those involving pupils in their own class
report back to pupils as to the outcome of actions
where appropriate, offer support over a period to both bully and victim
refer more serious or recurring offenders to senior staff
in some cases, contact parents. Senior staff should always be consulted before any direct approach is made
above all, stress that the school cares about its pupils and takes the problem of bullying very seriously

Senior staff should:

ensure that all pupils, staff and parents know the school's policy and procedures on bullying
deal promptly with reported incidents
involve parents, if appropriate
involve other agencies such as the police and the Social Work Department, if appropriate
report back to staff, pupils and parents of action taken

You, the parents should:

give your children sensible advice. For example:
please do not encourage them to hit back - while this may explain their behaviour it does not excuse it. It also tends to make matters worse, not better!
please encourage them to accept responsibility for their own actions - justifying their own misbehaviour on the grounds that ‘he did it first’ is not an acceptable defence
be aware of any signs that your children may be victims of bullying
encourage your children to be open about all aspects of bullying
inform the school immediately if you suspect that your child is being bullied
try to keep an open mind until the facts of the case are known
keep in touch with the school to monitor the situation

Pupils should:

be good role models
be prepared to speak to school staff to prevent a situation developing
report observed incidents to any school staff
in some cases, overcome their fear of telling and be confident in the support they will receive

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Conclusion

Duns Primary School is fortunate in that there are few incidences of serious bullying. We should not be complacent about this as it is almost certainly the case that this situation pertains precisely because the school and the parent body take the matter seriously and leave bullies knowing that their actions are regarded as unacceptable.

The effectiveness of the school’s approach will not be guaranteed just because a school policy has been produced. It is the skill and sensitivity with which school staff, children, parents and others implement it, which will determine its success.

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Appendix 1: Signs Of Bullying

Very often, children may not wish to tell anyone that they are being bullied. In some cases it is because they may feel ashamed or even guilty. In others they fear further bullying may take place as a result. It may also be that they feel it is a waste of time if previous problems have been ignored. Although children should be encouraged to be open about bullying, not all will, so it is important to be aware of signs that a child may be the victim of bullying.

Teachers and parents are in ideal positions to be able to observe changes in a child's behaviour which may well indicate that they are being subjected to bullying.

So look out for children who may:

be frightened of walking to and from school
change their usual route to school
beg you to drive them to school
be unwilling to go to school
develop persistent symptoms eg sore tummy, headache
begin to do poorly in their school work
have unexplained bruising, scratches, cuts
have their possessions go missing
ask for money or steal money
continually say they are losing money
come home very hungry (because their dinner money was taken)
become withdrawn, depressed and/or prone to tears
lose their appetite
cry themselves to sleep
have nightmares

One of the most common ways of finding out about bullying is your awareness that your child is upset but refuses to say what's wrong or gives a highly improbable excuse to explain the problem

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Appendix 2: Bullying Report

The form below will be completed when a serious bullying incident takes place. In many cases it will be completed by senior staff as more serious incidents are often dealt with by them.

Ideally the description of the incident will include comments from children involved. This is particularly useful where the bully has ‘owned up’.

Completed reports will be filed in the school office.

BULLYING REPORT

Date:		Time:
Location:
Names and Classes of those involved
Details of the incident (use a separate sheet if required)
Action Taken
Signed:

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