1. Introductory Statement
In writing, this anti-bullying policy sets out the framework within which the whole school community of Daffodil International School manages issues relating to bullying and the school’s strategy to prevent bullying behavior.
Parents and students have a vital role and responsibility in helping the school to prevent and address school-based bullying behavior and to deal with any negative impact within the school or bullying behavior that occurs elsewhere.
Target 4.a. Of Sustainable Development Goal 4 on Education, focuses on providing safe and non-violent learning environments for all children and adolescents.
Target 4, a - “provide safe, non-violent, inclusive, and effective learning environments for all”
Unsafe learning environments reduce the quality of education for all learners. Affected learners may avoid or participate less in class or drop out of school altogether. They are at increased risk of anxiety, psychological stress, and depression. Violence, which includes bullying, occurs in classrooms, playgrounds, toilets, changing rooms, on the way to or from schools, and online. It can be carried out by students, and educational and non-educational staff; and affects the victims, bystanders, and perpetrators themselves.
2. Scope
The policy addresses bullying behaviour, harassment and sexual harassment.
This policy applies to all members of the school community including teaching staff, students, parents, guardians, ancillary staff and visitors.
The policy will apply to several periods/activities including, but not limited to:
- School time (including break times)
- Going to and from school
- School tours/trips
- School compound
- Extra-curricular activities and co-curricular activities
- Social networking/media and cyber technology sites such as Twitter, Facebook and texting that have a negative impact on school life.
Furthermore, the policy applies outside the school if the behaviour impacts any person’s participation in our school. It deals with negative behaviours and attitudes which arise or occur in school and which affect the progress and sense of emotional well-being of students or other people at the school. The policy will outline the necessary steps to be taken when a bullying incident is reported.
3. Rationale
Daffodil International School believes that each student has the right to an education free from fear and intimidation. Bullying is not tolerated. Bullying can be a secret activity and difficult to detect. To ensure that no student should suffer in this way, communication between home and school is very important. It is a priority issue identified by the staff, students, and parents
4. Our mission
To offer quality and affordable international education in a conducive environment where students are raised to become responsible leaders with high moral standards.
5. Our vision
To raise morally upright global citizens.
6. Goals/Objectives of this policy
- To create a school ethos that encourages all to disclose and discuss incidents of bullying behavior in confidence.
- To affirm the right of all within the school to live a life free from bullying.
- To raise awareness of bullying as an unacceptable form of behavior with school management, teachers, students, parents/guardians.
- To create a school ethos that acknowledges, accommodates, and respects a diversity of persons in the school community across the nine grounds covered by the equality legislation.
- To ensure that the school’s Social, Personal, and Health Education raises awareness of the factors associated with bullying behavior as well as developing appropriate knowledge, skills, and behaviors.
- To take practical actions to prevent incidents of bullying behavior e.g. to ensure comprehensive supervision and monitoring measures through which all areas of school activities are kept under observation.
- To put into effect procedures for reporting and recording incidents of bullying behavior.
- To put into effect procedures for investigating and dealing with incidents of bullying behavior.
- To develop a program of support for those affected by bullying behavior and those involved in bullying behavior.
- To work with, and through, the various local agencies in countering all forms of bullying and anti-social behavior.
7. The following definition of bullying behavior has been established:
Bullying behavior is deliberate and repeated aggression, verbal, psychological, or physical, conducted by an individual or group against any person.
Bullying may take the forms of verbal bullying (attacks of a highly personal or sexual nature, which may be directed at a student’s family, culture, race, or religion, or the spreading of malicious rumors), physical bullying, gesture bullying (non-verbal threatening gestures which convey intimidatory or frightening messages), isolation, exclusion, extortion (demands for money, possessions or equipment, or forcing a student to steal), intentional diminishment, or cyber-bullying (the use of web-pages, e-mails and especially text messages to abuse, intimidate or attack a student).
Isolated or once-off incidents of intentional negative behavior, including a one-off offensive or hurtful text message or other private messaging, do not fall within the definition of bullying and should be dealt with, as appropriate, in accordance with the school’s code of behavior.
However, in the context of this policy, placing a once-off offensive or hurtful public message, image, or statement on a social network site or another public forum where that message, image, or statement can be viewed and/or repeated by other people will be regarded as bullying behavior.
It is not bullying when:
(1a) Students of about the same age and strength have the occasional quarrel or conflict.
(1b) A member of staff offers constructive or fair criticism of a student’s behaviour or work performance.
For the purpose of this policy, the term bullying encompasses harassment and sexual harassment, defined as follows:
Harassment: any form of unwanted conduct that has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity and creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, or offensive environment for the victim.
Sexual harassment: any form of unwanted verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity and creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, or offensive environment for the victim.
All members of the school community, including external facilitators, are subject to this code, particularly the following relationships.
- Student to Student.
- Student to any Staff member.
- Staff member to Student.
- Parent to Staff member.
- Staff member to Parent
- Staff member to Staff member.
8. Types of bullying:
The following are some examples of unacceptable behavior. This list is not exhaustive. Similarly, unacceptable behaviors may be considered bullying.
8a General
- Harassment is based on any of the nine grounds in the equality legislation e.g.Sexual harassment, homophobic bullying, racist bullying, etc.
- Physical aggression, property damage.
- Name-calling, jealousy, and slagging.
- The production, display, or circulation of written words, pictures, or other materials aimed at intimidation, name belittling, and gestures.
- Graffiti, sniggering, sarcastic remarks, and extortion.
- Intimidation, name belittling, gestures.
- The “look”, staring, degrading remarks re body shape.
- Putting down a student for working well and achieving.
- Talking loud enough so that the victim can hear.
- Invasion of personal space.
- A combination of any of the types listed.
- Abusing social network sites including Facebook, Twitter, Edmodo, Instagram, Viber, Youtube, Kik, Ask.FM, Tumblr, Mufy/media sites, and any other sites developed subsequent to this policy during and outside of school hours, including all school outings and events.
8b Homophobic
- Name-calling /using graffiti e.g. “Gay”, “queer”, “lesbian”, etc…
- Spreading rumors about a person’s sexual orientation.
- Taunting a person of a different sexual orientation.
8c Racial
Discrimination, prejudice, comments, or insults about color, nationality, culture, social class, religious beliefs, or ethnic background.
8d Relational
This involves manipulating relationships as a means of bullying. Behaviors include:
- Whispering in a company to exclude another.
- Malicious gossip.
- Isolation & exclusion.
- Ignoring, and turning others against a student.
- Excluding from the group.
- Taking someone’s friends away.
8e Cyber
- Silent telephone/mobile phone calls.
- Use of mobile phones during school hours to access social network sites.
- Abusive telephone/mobile phone calls.
- Abusive text messages.
- Abusive email.
- Abusive website comments/blogs/pictures e.g. Facebook, Twitter, and others.
- Any misuse of Information and Communication Technology.
- Video recording without the person’s permission
- Taking/sending photographs by an electronic device.
- Creating sites about a particular person.
- Spreading rumors.
- Breaking confidence.
8f Sexual
- Unwelcome sexual comments or touching.
- Unwelcome sexual texts or emails.
9. Signs and Indicators of Bullying
Students who are being bullied may develop feelings of insecurity and extreme anxiety and thus become more vulnerable. Self-confidence may be damaged with the consequent lowering of self-esteem. While they may not talk about what is happening to them their suffering is indicated through changes in mood and behavior. Bullying may occasionally result in suicide. It is therefore important to be alert to changes in behavior as early as intervention is desirable.
The outcomes of bullying and harassment on the victim are often manifest in the following ways:
Psychological
- anger
- anxiety
- distress
- frustration
- depression
- panic
- indifference
- fear
- attempted suicide
- shame and feelings of worthlessness
- loss of trust in friends and their inability to support and protect
Behavioral
- increased irritability and nervousness
- unexplained changes in mood
- increased aggressiveness
- may believe that they deserve to be bullied
- becoming withdrawn
- excessive tearfulness or sensitivity to criticism
- substance abuse
- becoming obsessive
- nightmares
Physical Manifestations
- chest pains
- pattern of minor illness
- insomnia
- stomach problems
- eating problems
- fatigue and lethargy
- headaches
- sweats
- inconsistent explanations for cuts and bruises
Social, Interpersonal, and School Related
- anxiety about traveling to and from school
- pitching
- late home from school without any plausible explanation
- fear of using the school toilet during breaks
- fear of being out of sight of adults
- becoming isolated in class
- becoming withdrawn
- reluctance to discuss the problem
- unwilling to go to school
- lack of creativity and initiative
- beginning to bully small/younger students
- possessions missing or damaged
- increased and excessive requests for money
- deterioration in school performance and motivation
- loss of interest or concentration in school
- unusual concerns about physical appearance, attributes, mannerisms, etc.
The relevant teacher(s) for investigating and dealing with bullying is (are) as follows:
- Teacher to whom a report is made
- Class Tutor
- School counsellor
- Departmental Head
- Deputy Principal
- Principal
In investigating and dealing with bullying, the teacher will exercise his/her professional judgment to determine whether bullying has occurred and how best the situation might be resolved in keeping a reference to school policy
All reports, including anonymous reports of bullying, must be investigated and dealt with by the relevant teacher. In that way, pupils will gain confidence in reporting. This confidence factor is of vital importance. It should be made clear to all pupils that when they report incidents of bullying they are not considered to be telling tales but are behaving responsibly.
Teachers should take a calm, unemotional problem-solving approach when dealing with incidents of alleged bullying behavior reported by pupils, staff, or parents.
When analyzing incidents of bullying behavior, the relevant teacher should seek answers to questions of what, where, when, who and why. This should be done in a calm manner, setting an example of dealing effectively with a conflict in a non-aggressive manner.
10. Education and prevention strategies to prevent bullying behavior
Staff, Parents and pupils have a particularly important role and responsibility in helping the school to prevent and address school-based bullying behaviour and to deal with any negative impact within a school of bullying behaviour that occurs elsewhere.
The education and prevention strategies (including strategies specifically aimed at cyberbullying and identity-based bullying including in particular, homophobic and transphobic bullying) that will be used by the school are as follows:
10a. Publishing and Publicising the Anti-Bullying Policy
- Excerpts from the Anti-Bullying Policy will be visible throughout the school in corridors and classrooms.
- Anti-bullying Charter on display in classrooms (See Appendix 1)
- It will be published on the school website in the students’ journal, and in the school Code of Behaviour.
- The Anti-Bullying Policy will be promoted on various occasions g. parents’ nights, first-year enrolment, and open nights.
10b. Supervision and Monitoring
- Bullying “black spots” within the school will be identified and monitored during break times.
- Staff will be vigilant and follow the procedures as outlined in this policy as incidents arise.
- A questionnaire will be given to students during the school year. This will give students an opportunity to voice their concerns. Each student is encouraged to write something down.
- Social networking sites will continue to be banned from student use during school time. The Anti-Bullying Policy operates in conjunction with the school’s Acceptable Use Policy.
10c. Student Involvement
- Senior students will continue to assist First Years at the school through the mentoring program, thus helping the new student to “settle in”.
- The Student Council supports the creation of a positive school atmosphere through the implementation of the Anti Bullying policy.
10d. Link to Related School Policies
School policies need to be consistent with one another, within the framework of the overall School Plan. Relevant school policies already in place, being developed or reviewed should be examined by reference to the Anti-Bullying Policy and any implications which it has for them should be addressed.
The following policies may be among those considered:
- Code of Behaviour.
- Child Protection.
- Internet Safety: Acceptable Use Policy.
- Health and Safety.
- Critical Incident Policy
- Guidance and Counselling Programme.
- Attendance Policy.
- Admissions Policy.
- Induction for new staff and students.
10f. Involving Parents/Guardians and the Wider Community
- Awareness of the Anti-Bullying Policy will be raised on parents’ nights e.g. First Year enrolment and open nights.
- There will be continued involvement with the local community to gain awareness of any existing problems.
- Outside speakers/drama groups will be engaged for both students and parents.
11. The school’s procedures for investigation, follow-up, and recording of bullying behavior and the established intervention strategies used by the school for dealing with cases of bullying behavior are as follows: (See also Appendix 2)
Reporting procedures for Students:
11a. Who to tell?
- Parents
- Any staff member with whom the student feels comfortable
- Friends who will speak on your behalf
- Deputy Principal.
- Tutor or Head of Department.
- Guidance Counsellor.
- Student ‘Mentor’
11b. How to tell?
- A direct approach to the teacher at an appropriate time, e.g. after class, hand notes up with homework.
- Make a phone call to the school or a trusted teacher in the school.
- Email the school
- Get a parent or friend to tell on your behalf.
- Parents can inform the school.
- Witnesses can inform the appropriate person.
- Administer a confidential questionnaire to all students during the year.
It is important to note that records of all incidents of bullying and action taken to resolve them will be kept.
12. Noting and Recording
- All incidents of alleged bullying will be recorded on an incident form (SEE APPENDIX 3)
- and given to the relevant Head of the Department.
- The relevant Tutor/Head of the Department will then decide on what action is to be taken.
- The Principal and Deputy Principal are responsible for maintaining files for security and confidentiality for at least seven years after they leave school.
- These files may be accessed by students/parents in the future.
- Comments made should be factual, non-judgmental, and objective.
13. Procedures for Dealing with Reported Incidents:
13a Procedures for Teachers
If a student informs you of an incident of bullying affecting either themselves or a friend, follow these steps:
- Listen; encourage the student to tell their story as this is a very important first step.
- Take notes; record all the details such as date, time, location, names of those involved, witnesses, etc. student’s own words must be recorded.
- Reassure; tell the student that help is available, action will be taken to investigate, it is not their fault, and that they will not have to face this on their own.
- Satisfy yourself that no student is in immediate danger.
- Confidentiality is respected and the student’s privacy is protected, but a teacher must not give guarantees not to tell anyone.
- Inform the Head of the Department without delay. Complete the Incident Form for recording bullying behavior (Appendix 3)
- All serious incidents of bullying (e.g. an assault or long-term exclusion) must be reported to the Principal straight away.
13b Procedures for Staff Members Investigating the Reported Incident
Actions may include the following and may incorporate elements of 1 or more of the six main responses to addressing bullying behavior
- (Traditional Disciplinary Approach,
- Strengthening the Victim
- Mediation,
- Restorative Practice,
- The Support Group Method,
- The Method of Shared Concern)
- Have the student reporting bullying write down the behaviors and how it is affecting them as early as
- Talk with the alleged bully about their behavior and their experiences of incidents.
- Have the alleged bully write down an account of their behaviors and their effects as early as possible.
- Challenge bullying behavior as being unacceptable.
- Discuss possible solutions with both parties separately/together if appropriate.
- Inform the Head of the Department of the incident
- Refer complainant to Guidance Counsellor.
- Make a further appointment to discuss the situation with the complainant and/or other relevant individuals.
- Record details of the complaint on an official form.
- The evidence will be evaluated by management and fair appropriate action will be taken in accordance with the code of behavior.
- The person reporting the incident must be protected from whoever is dealing with the incident and must be discreet and careful. Staff will support students who report bullying by conducting follow-up meetings with them.
13c. Follow-up steps to be taken
- The students involved will be monitored regularly through informal discussions.
- Counseling may be offered to all concerned.
- If necessary the parents will be invited to a meeting with management.
- If bullying persists the School Board will be informed.
13d. Procedures for Student-to-Staff Bullying
- Teacher(s) to speak to students involved.
- Explain unacceptable behavior as in policy.
- Explore a working solution.
- Refer to Deputy Principal and Principal.
- Request meeting with parents.
13e. Procedures for Staff-to-Student Bullying
- We recommend that students talk to Deputy Principal or Principal
- Principal will discuss the allegation with the teacher involved
- Explore a working solution.
13f. Procedures for Staff-to-Staff Bullying
Procedures to be followed by the HR POLICY or Labour act.
14. Implementation arrangements, Roles, and Responsibilities
The Anti-Bullying policy shall indicate the individual roles, responsibilities, and obligations of staff, students, and parents. These roles and responsibilities shall be clearly outlined to existing staff and shall be communicated to all new staff at induction.
Students shall be made aware of their roles and responsibilities.
The people who have responsibility for implementing each action and their roles are outlined as follows:
Principal and Deputy Principal: The Principal and Deputy Principal shall have overall control and responsibility for the implementation of the policy including its publicity at staff meetings, and meetings with parents and the Principal will be responsible for its ratification. Management will liaise with staff regularly regarding bullying behavior. A file of incident reports shall be collected as a record of bullying behavior. When a
bullying incident has been reported Management together with the Head of the Department will be responsible for the disciplinary action of any student accused of bullying behavior. Where necessary they will be responsible for contacting parents and the relevant authorities.
- The Head of the Department together with Management will be responsible for the disciplinary action of any student accused of bullying behavior. Where necessary they will be responsible for contacting parents and the relevant The Head of the Department will be responsible for recording all information regarding all incidents and meetings.
- Subject Teacher: Will report any bullying behavior to the relevant member of staff, Management, or Pastoral Care Team. The teacher must document incidents of bullying behavior within their classroom or outside of it e.g. corridors etc. Teachers will fully participate and facilitate meetings and promotion of the anti-bullying policy. All teachers must be constantly vigilant of any bullying behavior with the children under their care.
- Values and Ethics Coordinator: The PSHE coordinator shall along with the SPHE teachers promote awareness of what bullying is in PSHE classes.
- Guidance Counsellor: The Guidance Counsellor shall be responsible for highlighting awareness of anti-bullying initiatives and bullying behavior within the school and related activities. He/she will also have the responsibility of reporting incidents and dealing with the counseling of the relevant student/s.
- School Management Board: Shall have the overall responsibility for implementing the anti-bullying policy. They will facilitate the promotion and awareness of it throughout the school. The Board confirms that appropriate supervision and monitoring policies and practices are in place to both prevent and deal with bullying behavior and to facilitate early intervention where possible.
- Student: The student will have the responsibility of complying with the anti-bullying policy. The student will also have the responsibility of reporting incidents of bullying that they are subject to or have witnessed. The student will also have the responsibility to participate actively in anti-bullying initiatives. The student along with the parent/guardian will have the responsibility of signing the anti-bullying policy and returning to the school and therefore agreeing to be bound by it.
- Parent/Guardian: The parent or guardian will have the responsibility of upholding the recommendations within the policy and accepting the sanctions held within it. Where incidents of bullying are occurring to their child, they will have the responsibility of reporting this to the Principal, Deputy Principal, Departmental Head, or counselor.
- Staff members: shall have the responsibility of reporting all incidents of bullying behavior that they have witnessed or are aware of in keeping with the Anti- Bullying Policy.
15. Ratification, Communication and Review
This policy and its implementation will be reviewed by the School Board once in every school year. Written notification that the review has been completed will be made available to school personnel, published on the school website and provided to the Parent’s Association.
Appendix 2: Guidelines and Resources for Investigating and Resolving Bullying with student to student
Action taken by
Subject teacher, tutor, or any teacher. Head of Department/ Deputy Principal
Social, Interpersonal, and School Related
Challenge the behaviour as being unacceptable Speak to students separately and try to resolve the issue Keep a record
Teacher will follow up progress with: victim and bully, bystanders or others involved
Support and/or sanction may include
Serious talk with student(s) re effects of their behavior. Verbal warning. Student/s involved warned to stop. Seek verbal agreement re future behaviour
Outline a fair outcome if appropriate
e.g. an apology, return of property etc
Student to Student: Where bullying behavior persists / serious incidents of bullying
Action taken by
Any teacher, Tutor, Head of Department involved may be involved
Procedure
The Incident was investigated by the Head of Department Principal/ Deputy principal informed. Both sets of parents are informed by the Head of the Department Keep a record. The Head of the Department follows up on progress with the victim and bully, bystanders, or others Involved.
Support and/or sanction may include
Serious talk with the student re: behavior and future behavior. Sign written agreement re future behavior. Parents/Guardians sign a written agreement regarding future behavior Speak with the school counselor. Detention /other agreed sanctions from the school’s Code of Behaviour.
Monitor future behavior
Subsequent report /disclosure
Action taken by
The principal or Deputy Principal, Head of Department, or Counsellor may be involved
The incident may be referred to the School Board at the discretion of the principal
Procedure
Parents and student meet with Principal/Deputy Principal. Feedback to the Head of Department. Record kept. Follow up progress with victim and bully, bystanders or others involved and continue to monitor the situation
Support and/or sanction may include
Detention / Suspension / other agreed sanction from the school’s Code of Behaviour. Parents are met and conditions are set regarding the student’s future behavior and recommendations are made. Counselling offered.
The future of the student in the school may be considered
