The Grange P-12 College
Respect, Learning, Working Together
The Grange P-12 College Anti-Bullying Policy
1. POLICY STATEMENT:
1.1 Every student, staff member, parent and visitor at The Grange P-12 College has the right to be respected and feel safe within the College environment and while participating in college activities. A person who bullies or harasses another is denying them that right and is not behaving as a responsible school community member.
1.2 This policy aims to inform and educate the school community regarding their rights and responsibilities. It also provides a basis upon which appropriate programs and procedures are developed across the college. These programs and procedures are designed to: develop a culture that does not tolerate bullying and / or harassing behaviour; provide an effective framework within which to address incidents and issues of harassment and bullying.
2. RATIONALE:
2.1 To provide a safe environment that has a structure to effectively deal with bullying and harassment if they take place.
2.2 Harassment and bullying is often kept a secret from adults. This secrecy often allows bullying and harassment to continue. Students must be able to feel that they can talk about incidences of harassment if the behavior is to cease. Students are often afraid to report bullying for fear that it will get worse. The act of witnessing the bullying of another person and doing nothing to stop it, is as bad as the person who is actually bullying. Bystander responsibility will be adhered to by all members of the school community.
2.3 Any form of harassment is totally unacceptable at The Grange P-12 College.
3. DEFINITIONS OF KEY TERMS:
3.1 Bullying is when someone, or a group of people, who have more power at the time deliberately upset or hurt another person, their property, reputation or social acceptance on more than one occasion. This could occur in a variety of ways: face to face; name-calling; excluding; spreading rumours; on the internet; over the telephone or via text messages.
There are many types of behaviours that if continuous can be defined as harassment:
(NOTE: THE FOLLOWING LISTS ARE EXAMPLES ONLY, AND ARE NOT ALL-INCLUSIVE).
3.11 VERBAL:
• Name calling, put downs, ‘knocking’ achievers
• Spreading rumours or gossiping
• Negative comments about someone’s appearance, gender sexuality, cultural or social background
• Homophobic comments or teasing
• Threatening remarks, teasing or speaking rumours about others or their families
• Swearing
• Isolating people from their friends/peers, talking about them in a huddle as if they are not there (making them a ‘non-person’)
• Taking part in ‘whispering campaigns’
• Threatening to ‘get’ another person or have others ‘get’ them.
• Sexual harassment through verbal acts of a sexual nature (asking someone to perform sexual favours, etc.)
3.12 PHYSICAL:
• Threatening behaviour, fighting or using weapons; spitting on others; invasion of ‘personal space’
• Unfair exclusion
• Unwanted touching
• Interfering with another person’s property, by stealing, hiding, damaging or destroying it, or teasing that person with their property (i.e. playing ‘keepings off’)
• Giving ‘greasies’, starting in a determined manner, and making gestures that are threatening
• Sexually harassing others through physical acts of a sexual nature (i.e. unwanted touching)
• Writing offensive notes or graffiti about others.
• Using students to obtain money, food, personal equipment, clothes or other things that students bring to school.
• Forcing students to complete work for someone else
• Sending e-mail and/or texts which is offensive, demeaning or includes negative comments about someone’s appearance, gender, sexuality, cultural or social background
3.13 RACIAL:
• Racist comments or jokes; emails or letter
• Physical abuse
• Negative reference to a person’s appearance, cultural values/beliefs, or language
3.14 SEXUAL
Sexual harassment is defined under it’s own sub-policy.
3.15 DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AND ELECTRONIC BULLYING
• Spread of rumours via msn
• Placing images without a person’s consent
• Intimidation
• Giving out personal details to others about others without permission
• Posting offensive comments, messages and bulletins on social networking sites (e.g. MySpace; Facebook).
• Downloading inappropriate material e.g. video images of students at school or student incidents and sending it to others
• Using SMS, chat rooms, e-mails, internet to belittle or intimidate.
4. GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTATION
• Every member of the school community has the right to be protected from all forms of harassment. This includes traveling to and from school, as well as being at school or on any camp, excursion, event (i.e. sporting carnival) or other related activity this is run by The Grange P-12 College.
• Every member of the school community is responsible for implementing this policy. All students can help to stop incidents of bullying and harassment.
• All complaints of harassment should be treated as genuine
• All complaints of harassment/bullying will be listened to, and judged on its own merits.
• Each claim should be acted upon without undue delay
• Both the complainant and the accused have the right to an investigation that is confidential and discreet (realizing that there will be cases where the complainant will inevitably be identified).
• All documentation regarding harassment incidents should be filed in a manner that ensures confidentiality.
• In cases where the complainant is identified, all measures will be taken to ensure that repercussions are minimized (i.e. warning student/s involved that repercussions will result in harsh penalties)
• A copy of all documentation regarding any harassment incident will be passed on to the Assistant Principals.
• Harassment and bullying at The Grange P-12 College will not be tolerated.
• Every member of the school community is responsible for implementing this policy. All students can help to stop incidents of bullying and harassment.
• All complaints of harassment should be treated as genuine
• All complaints of harassment/bullying will be listened to, and judged on its own merits.
• Each claim should be acted upon without undue delay
• Both the complainant and the accused have the right to an investigation that is confidential and discreet (realizing that there will be cases where the complainant will inevitably be identified).
• All documentation regarding harassment incidents should be filed in a manner that ensures confidentiality.
• In cases where the complainant is identified, all measures will be taken to ensure that repercussions are minimized (i.e. warning student/s involved that repercussions will result in harsh penalties)
• A copy of all documentation regarding any harassment incident will be passed on to the Assistant Principals.
• Harassment and bullying at The Grange P-12 College will not be tolerated.
5. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
| Callistemon | Deloraine | |
| Student Care and Management - campus based |
Teacher –Student Wellbeing
DEECD Support services
Integration Teacher
Leading Teachers (Year level) Assistant Principal – Student Wellbeing |
Student Counselor (1.0)
DEECD Support services
Careers Counselor (1.0)
MIPS Coordinator (0.8)
Health Promotions Nurse (4
Leading Teacher -Student Wellbeing
Home group teachers
Year Level Leaders & Assistants
Assistant Principal – Student Wellbeing |
| Meetings |
Leadership Meetings
Integration Program meetings
Fortnightly Wellbeing Team Meetings
Professional Learning Team meetings |
Wellbeing Team meet with above individuals fortnightly
Wellbeing Team meeting (weekly)
Professional Learning Team meetings
Later, Senior & Middle School Meetings |
| Curriculum |
Tribes Process –across the campus
Restorative Practices – small group conferences, class conferences
Cultural diversity and indigenous Studies |
Home group
Year Level Assemblies
Restorative Practices – small group conferences, class conferences
Health Education
Year 9 Student Wellbeing day
Year 10 Student Wellbeing day
Cultural diversity and indigenous studies
|
| Extra Curricula Activities/ Programs |
Junior School Council (Student Leadership)
Breakfast Club
Bigger Buddies
Lunch Time Social Skills Group
Dance Group, Basket Weaving/Hair Braiding
Seasons Grief and Loss Program |
Wide Range of Programs which include: Bigger Buddies; VCE Supportive Friends; M Power for girls; Student Leadership; Cool Actions; and special weeks – Mental Health Week, National Youth Week.
Structured Lunchtime activities program
Breakfast Club |
6. IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES
6.1 Class/Home group Level:
• Transition programs will be established across key year levels to assist students to adapt quickly to their new stage of learning. The transition process will involve sharing of information about how students learn and their social-emotional wellbeing.
• Class Teacher/Home group teacher to build positive relationships with the students in the class so that they are able to monitor individual students and their connectedness to school.
• An age appropriate behavior management system will be implemented at both campuses that where appropriate uses positive behavior interventions.
• A range of awareness raising activities on both campuses that incorporates the use of ICT to engage students and the school community.
• Wellbeing team to organize and provide prevention programs; individual counseling; referral to external community agencies and other organizations depending on what is required.
6.2 Staff Level:
• Professional Development and training for staff – e.g. combating bullying, restorative practices, No Blame Approach; assertive discipline approaches.
• Professional Development and curriculum support for Teaching staff in relation to Internet safety and Cyberbullying.
• Participation of staff in lunchtime activities and other extra curricula activities with students in order to build school connectedness
• Participation of staff in programs such as VCE study camp; Year 9 and 10 Student Wellbeing days; Bigger Buddies and VCE Supportive Friends.
6.3 Parental Level:
• Parent Education via school newsletter
• Information for parents on Restorative practices; and Tribes process communicated both online and in publications designed for parents
• Information in regards to the policy will be shared at Parent Information evenings
• Parent Education evenings in regards to Child/Adolescent development; Health Education, Internet Safety and Cybersafety
6.31 What parents can do:
• Listen to your child and take their feelings and fears seriously
• Try not to take everything into your own hands, unless it is absolutely necessary, because this is likely to make your child feel less in control
• Help your child to work out what ideas they have about coping with the problem. Write them down. Include a few of your own if needed to get started. Then talk with your child about which ones might help or not help and why. Choose an idea that they would like to try and then check out how it works Don't call your child names e.g. “weak” or a “sook” and don't let anyone else do so
• If the bullying is verbal teasing you may be able to help your child to learn to ignore it, so the child who is doing it does not get any satisfaction out of it. You could practise at home ways to help your child gain confidence e.g. the way to walk past with their head up
• Help your child think of ways to avoid the situation e.g. by going a different way home, or staying with a group
• Some children are helped by imagining a special wall around them which protects them so that the hard words bounce off
• Work on building your child's confidence in things they do well
NB - Be very careful that your child does not feel that being bullied is their fault.
6.32 Talking to the school
If you need to talk to the school about your concerns as a parent consider who is the most appropriate staff member to deal accordingly with the issue: Coloured room teacher, Home group teacher; Year Level Leader or Assistant Year Level Leader; Assistant Principals, or the Student Wellbeing Co-ordinator.
Make a list of the things that have happened to your child. Be clear and be firm about their suffering. Be prepared to name the children who bully.
• Listen to your child and take their feelings and fears seriously
• Try not to take everything into your own hands, unless it is absolutely necessary, because this is likely to make your child feel less in control
• Help your child to work out what ideas they have about coping with the problem. Write them down. Include a few of your own if needed to get started. Then talk with your child about which ones might help or not help and why. Choose an idea that they would like to try and then check out how it works Don't call your child names e.g. “weak” or a “sook” and don't let anyone else do so
• If the bullying is verbal teasing you may be able to help your child to learn to ignore it, so the child who is doing it does not get any satisfaction out of it. You could practise at home ways to help your child gain confidence e.g. the way to walk past with their head up
• Help your child think of ways to avoid the situation e.g. by going a different way home, or staying with a group
• Some children are helped by imagining a special wall around them which protects them so that the hard words bounce off
• Work on building your child's confidence in things they do well
NB - Be very careful that your child does not feel that being bullied is their fault.
6.32 Talking to the school
If you need to talk to the school about your concerns as a parent consider who is the most appropriate staff member to deal accordingly with the issue: Coloured room teacher, Home group teacher; Year Level Leader or Assistant Year Level Leader; Assistant Principals, or the Student Wellbeing Co-ordinator.
Make a list of the things that have happened to your child. Be clear and be firm about their suffering. Be prepared to name the children who bully.
6.33 Special Note:
If this is an ongoing problem rather than an occasional one for your child or if it happens to your child a lot in different situations with different children it is important to get some professional counselling for support.
If this is an ongoing problem rather than an occasional one for your child or if it happens to your child a lot in different situations with different children it is important to get some professional counselling for support.
7. LINKS TO ASSOCIATED COLLEGE POLICIES:
This policy should be read in conjunction with the following:
• The Grange P-12 College Internet Acceptable Use Policy
• The Grange P-12 College Mobile Phone Policy
• The Grange P-12 College Sexual Harassment Policy
• The Grange P-12 College Student Engagement Guidelines (to be reviewed)
• The Grange P-12 College Internet Acceptable Use Policy
• The Grange P-12 College Mobile Phone Policy
• The Grange P-12 College Sexual Harassment Policy
• The Grange P-12 College Student Engagement Guidelines (to be reviewed)
8. TIMELINE/POLICY REVIEW AND EVALUATION
• Wellbeing Teams on both campuses to audit implementation plans and programs on against the Victorian Framework for Student Support, Safe Schools are Effective Schools, Effective Schools are Engaging Schools Policies and review policy 2011.
A short list of links parents and students might find useful:
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1 May, 2012
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2 May, 2012
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3 May, 2012
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7 May, 2012
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10 May, 2012