Anti-Bullying Policy

This Anti-Bullying Policy was reviewed in consultation with representatives from the school community of St Vincent's GNS, North William St, Dublin 1 during the school year 2008/2009. These included:

• Pupils
• Teachers
• Principal
• Parents
• Board of Management

The document was informed by the Department of Education and Science Guidelines on Countering Bullying Behaviour in Primary and Post-Primary Schools.

On completion of the review, the Policy document was ratified by the Board of Management for immediate implementation and will be made available to all families in the school community by the end of June 2009.

As a backdrop to our Anti-Bullying Policy, we chose some of the Unicef Rights of the Child, which we considered to be appropriate to the spirit of Anti-Bullying:

• Whoever we are, wherever we live, these rights belong to all children under the sun and the moon and the stars, whether we live in cities or towns or villages, or in mountains or valleys or deserts or forests or jungles. Anywhere and everywhere in the big, wide world, these are the rights of every child

• Understand that all children are precious. Pick us up if we fall down and if we are lost lend us your hand. Give us the things we need to make us happy and strong, and always do your best for us whenever we are in your care

• All children should be allowed to live and to grow and grow until we are grown up and can decide things for ourselves

• Allow us to tell you what we are thinking or feeling whether our voices are big or small; whether we whisper or shout it, or point, draw, mime or sign it - listen to us and hear what we say

• No one on Earth has the right to hurt us, not even our mums or dads. Protect us always from anyone who would be cruel

• Watch over us. Wrap us up against the cold and rain, and give us shade from the hot sun. Make sure we have enough to eat and drink and if we are sick, nurse and comfort us

Definition of Bullying

For the purpose of this Policy, the definition of Bullying behaviour is taken from the Guidelines on Countering Bullying Behaviour in Primary and Post-Primary Schools, 1993

Bullying is repeated aggression, verbal, psychological or physical, conducted by an individual or group; against others. 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.

Indications of Bullying

School staff will be watchful for signs of bullying in classrooms, playgrounds and other areas during break times or when there is a change to normal classroom routines - eg on school trips or class outings for educational purposes. The following may be indications of Bullying:

• Worry about travelling to and from school
• Not wanting to go to school
• School or homework deteriorating
• Mood or personality changes that are unexpected or unexplained

Our Mission Statement

To support the learning and development of each person
in a happy, caring and respectful environment

In keeping with our Mission Statement and with the ethos of our school which is to care for those who are most marginalised, the following bullying behaviours will not be tolerated under any circumstances:

Physical

• Punching Hair-pulling
• Shoving Throwing items at
• Kicking Spitting at
• Hitting Damaging property of someone
• Any behaviour that seeks to injure

Verbal

Jeering Slagging of parents/family
Slagging Verbal nastiness
Threatening Humiliating
Name-calling Making someone feel 'small'

Psychological

Intimidation Spreading stories/rumours
Aggressive body-language Telling lies about someone
Roaring into ears/face Excluding someone
Coming up to someone's face Isolation
'Looks' Bullying by text
'Ganging up' Cyber-bullying

In order to prevent Bullying and to encourage a positive atmosphere that actively discourages it in our school, we will follow our

Anti-Bullying Code

• Show respect for everybody
• Be kind to one another and treat everybody as we would like to be treated
• Remember that each person has the right to be who and what they are
• Accept that we are all unique and special. Difference of any kind: race, religion, appearance, clothes, personality, background or interests, does not make it acceptable to bully a person
• Be prepared to stand up for someone in trouble
• Know that silence allows people to suffer. Look out for one another and if we see someone bullying, we will tell

• Follow the Golden Rules

Strategies to prevent Bullying in our school:


Programmes
Activities
Building Community
School Structures
Circle Time
Stay Safe
SPHE
RSE
Alive O

Yard activities
Golden Time
Gaelic Games
Swimming
Dance
Cookery
Tennis

Breakfast Club
Prizegiving Assembly
Jumble Sale
Christmas Concert
School Raffle
6th Class pupils helping out at lunchtime
Intercultural Day
Green Schools Project
Skipathon

Supervision at breaks
Corridor Duty
Yard Duty
Early morning Duty
Supervision at dismissal time
Care Team

Strategies to help children and Parents to cope with bullying incidents

For Children

• Talk to someone you trust
• Ask for help
• Look for support from friends
• Keep your head and shoulders up
• Look straight in the eye
• Try to stay calm
• Speak clearly - or
• Ignore

For Parents

• Walk away
• Stay calm
• Re-assure your child that she was right to tell
• Tell her that there is nothing wrong with her
• Say that she is not alone
• Assure her that she has a right to feel and to be safe
• Listen, question - who, what, where, when
• Write down details
• Contact school; be patient

Role of the School Community in Anti-Bullying:

• Teachers
• Parents
• Pupils
• Principal

Role of Teachers

• Educate - make children aware of bullying behaviour
• Be aware of bullying behaviour and look out for vulnerable children
• Be fair - listen to children with an open mind and investigate both sides of the story
• Keep records of incidents investigated
• Build children's self-esteem

Role of Parents/Guardians

• Be aware of and understand the definition of Bullying in this policy
• Listen to and talk to children with an open mind
• Try not to panic, become emotional or frighten the child
• Calmly, talk to the teacher about the circumstances
• Support and trust the teacher to investigate the incident
• Be patient - it takes time to investigate incidents in a fair way
• Support the policy of the school in relation to bullying
• Build children's self-esteem

Role of Pupils

• Follow the Golden Rules
• Include everybody
• Try to get along with those you clash with
• Have the courage to tell if you're being bullied
• Tell if someone else is

Role of Principal

• Build relationships between pupils, parents and the school community
• Listen to, guide and support everyone
• Organise adequate supervision at all times
• Firm but fair discipline
• Investigate incidents of alleged bullying as appropriate
• Keep official records of actual bullying incidents
• Communicate outcomes of investigations to all those concerned
• Implement School Code of Behaviour or Sanctions outlined in this Anti-Bullying
• Policy in relation to incidents of Bullying as deemed appropriate

School Procedures when Bullying incident is reported:

• Person reporting incident is listened to by class teacher, or Principal if considered to be serious
• As many details as possible are recorded - Who? What? When? Where? How often? Witnesses?
• Assurances given that the matter will be investigated
• Teacher given time to investigate the incident
• Support Teacher may help with the investigation through Circle Time involving those concerned and other class members if appropriate
• Parents informed of findings
• Written record kept by class teacher
• Principal records serious incidents
• Sanctions imposed if necessary

Important Notes:

• Parents may not have access to children other than their own child in the school, during school hours
• Parents may not conduct an investigation in the school themselves
• In general, only incidents of bullying that are alleged to school have happened during school hours or that are continued in school will be investigated by school personnel. Incidents of bullying that happen in the community must be dealt with by parents

Sanctions

• Pupil names her behaviour
• She apologises to the pupil she has bullied, and undertakes no to engage in the behaviour again
• Parents are informed about the incident and the behaviour discussed
• For repeated incidents or if the incident in question is considered serious, the pupil(s) involved may be excluded from an activity they enjoy such as Golden Time or Art. Instead, work will be set in another/junior class
• For a serious assault on another child, or for persistent bullying behaviour, a pupil may be suspended by the Board of Management (see Code of Behaviour Document
• On her return, the suspended pupil will be placed 'On Report' and her behaviour monitored for a period of five school days

• Parents will be notified at all stages of sanctions imposed
• Positive action, involving the support systems in the school - Care Team, Support Teacher - will be taken to help both the pupil who has been bullied and the pupil(s) involved in the bullying behaviour

Roles and Responsibility:

All stakeholders in the education of our pupils have roles and responsibilities as regards the implementation of his policy:

• Teaching and ancillary staff
• Principal
• Pupils
• Parents
• Board of Management
• Trustees
• Department of Education and Science

Implementation Date:

The policy will be fully implemented from 1st September 2009

Review Date:

The policy will be reviewed during the school year 2011/2012

Ratification and Communication Date:

The school Board of Management ratified the Policy on:


Date: 17th June 2009


Signed:________________
Sr Anne Neylon DC
Chairperson


Adult Bullying:

For the purposes of this document, CPSMA and INTO have adopted the definition of bullying set out by the Health and Safety Authority in relation to adult bullying:

Bullying in the workplace is repeated aggression, verbal, psychological or physical, conducted by an individual or group against another person or persons. Bullying is where aggression or cruelty, viciousness, intimidation or a need to humiliate, dominate the relationships. Isolated incidents of aggressive behaviour, while to be condemned, should not be described as bullying. In the workplace environment there can be conflicts and interpersonal difficulties. Many of these are legitimate industrial relations difficulties that should be dealt with through the appropriate industrial relations channels. Only aggressive behaviour which is systematic and ongoing should be regarded as bullying.

Accordingly, it is the view of the INTO and CPSMA that the exercise of legitimate management function, in a reasonable and fair manner, does not constitute bullying.

The procedures designed to address adult bullying in the workplace or otherwise in the course of employment, in a fair and effective manner, and outlined in Appendix 21 1.3 of the CPSMA Handbook for Boards of Management will be followed in relation to complaints from or about school staff.