Bullying Guidelines
Code objectives
In order to prevent bullying and to create an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust among teachers, parents and pupils, the following code is followed.
- to teach children how to deal with bullying
- to teach children that bullying of others is not acceptable
- to aid parents and teachers in their dealings with bullying
Parents' / guardians’ guidelines
In all situations:
- be aware of victim / bully traits
- give their child opportunities to talk about feelings/problems
- avoid behaviour that might, inadvertently, encourage bullying, either as perpetrator or victim - overt discussion of other pupils and their family circle in front of children may provide ammunition for a potential bully
- contact class teacher and school principal if bullying is suspected - it is important that parents and teachers work together for a resolution
- never encourage their child to engage in violent behaviour, but to be assertive and to report a problem - this is more positive and effective
- always remain in close contact with the school
If your child may be a victim of bullying:
- advise the child always to get away from the bully and tell an adult whom they trust
- be aware of the rules of the Stay
Safe Programme which are
‘Say “No!” Get away! Tell and keep telling!’ - encourage your child to be positively assertive
- invite the child's peers to visit / join a family outing
- keep an account of suspected incidents - this will aid assessment
of the seriousness of the problem
If your child is suspected of bullying:
- don't panic, this may be a temporary response to something happening in your child's life
- do not punish by becoming bullies yourselves
- over a period of time, talk to your child in an attempt to discover if there is a problem and explain how the victim felt
- use every opportunity to praise good, considerate, helpful behaviour
- if the situation is serious, ask the school or family GP to refer your child to the child guidance clinic for help
Children’s guidelines
Children should be aware:
- that bullying is any action which makes another child uncomfortable
- that bullying is wrong because it hurts someone else
- that they should report to a parent/teacher if they continually feel threatened, embarrassed or frightened by somebody
- that they should report to a parent/teacher if they see someone being bullied
In school:
- tell the teacher on playground duty if the incident has occurred during playtime
- tell your class teacher of incidents at other times
General teachers' guidelines
- be aware of victim/bully traits
- remain alert to possible bullying incidents in the playground or the cloakroom as well as in the classroom
- be aware of own role model as presented to pupils
- avoid continually praising or assigning special duties to one pupil, as this may have an adverse effect on the rest of the class
