ST ALOYSIUS' COLLEGE
SCHOOL HANDBOOK

BULLYING POLICY

1 The school's Child Protection Policy clearly sets out our aim for all pupils: "St Aloysius' College is committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for children's life and learning in school. The College upholds every child's right to care and protection that promotes their human growth and sense of personal worth and dignity." Bullying clearly undermines and defeats these aims and is something, when it does occur, that the school is committed to dealing with in a firm and effective way.

Bullying

2 Bullying involves the abuse of power, it is persistent, and it is personal to the individual child. Bullying is deliberately or thoughtlessly causing distress, either mental or physical, to others by hurting them with words or actions, or by making them feel embarrassed, excluded or threatened. Bystanders who fail to intervene are also, to a degree, responsible for bullying.

Aims

3 The aims of the school's policy and procedures on bullying are:

(a) to stop the bullying behaviour
(b) to rebuild relationships
(c) to develop appropriate social skills and attitudes in the victims, perpetrators and bystanders of bullying
(d) to promote and reinforce at every opportunity the Christian ethos of care and respect for the individual.

Methods

4 The school sets out to achieve these aims by:

(a) listening to and taking notice of complaints or reports of bullying
(b) resolving incidents of bullying by reconciling and educating those involved
(c) punishing those responsible for bullying where this is an appropriate and effective response
(d) ensuring that all pupils (and parents) see that bullying is not tolerated.

Responsibilities

5 Pupils who are being bullied are encouraged to tell someone who can do something about it - parents, teachers, another adult, prefects. The school will do everything it can to put things right and to make sure there are no reprisals.

6 Pupils who are aware of bullying have a duty to report it, even if the victim asks them not to do so. We are all responsible for our community and must act when we see its values undermined. There are no innocent bystanders in bullying and the school will expect pupils who witness or hear about bullying to report the matter.

7 Parents have a key role to play. The school would expect parents:

• to take what their children say to them seriously and to report concerns or suspicions of bullying to the Housemaster (or Head of Section in the Junior School)
• to accept that the whole story may be quite complex with blurred recollections, circumstances and perceptions of what happened (in many cases bullying occurs between children who have recently been best friends)
• to trust the school to resolve matters according to the aims and methods stated in this policy to seek information where they need it and to consider what the school has to say

8 Parents who are not satisfied with the action that has been taken, may always refer the matter to the Head Master.

Procedures

9 The procedure which will be followed by the school when a complaint or report of bullying is received will be as follows:

(a) all complaints and reports will be referred by whom it is received to the appropriate Housemaster (or Head of Section in the Junior School)

(b) the Housemaster (or Head of Section) will notify the Assistant Head Master (AHM) in all cases, who will provide support and guidance, or intervene, as he sees fit

(c) the Assistant Head Master will also monitor the frequency of incidents and any patterns of locations and individuals involved, and propose arrangements that can help in the reduction of opportunities and reasons for bullying

(d) on receiving a complaint or report of bullying, the Housemaster will speak to each of the individuals concerned: victim, bully and bystanders; each will usually be asked to write an account of what happened

(e) parents seeking an interview will be seen at the earliest opportunity by the Housemaster and AHM

(f) a decision will be made by the Housemaster (supported by AHM) as to what action to take, taking into account the people and circumstances of the incident(s)

(g) the Housemaster will check-up to make sure the victim is all right the following day and one week later (and more often if there is cause for concern)

(h) the Housemaster will keep parents informed of progress and decisions taken

(i) a written report will be kept on file

Advice to pupils

10 The following advice is given to Senior School pupils in their planners, and amplified at assemblies and as opportunities arise:

Bullying is deliberately or thoughtlessly causing distress to others by hurting them with your words or actions, or by making them feel embarrassed, excluded or threatened. Remember that what may seem a joke or a bit of harmless teasing to you and your friends may not be fun for the person on the receiving end. Bullying is not tolerated at St Aloysius. If you bully, you can expect to be dealt with severely. If you are being bullied you must tell someone who has the power to do something about it - your parents, a teacher, your Housemaster or some other adult. Often victims feel that reporting bullying will make things worse - this is not true. A report of bullying will be dealt with carefully and everything will be done to make sure that the bullying stops and that there are no repercussions for you. You have a right to feel safe and happy in your school and to be treated with respect - don't let anyone else take away that right.

11 Similar advice is given to Junior School pupils, along with opportunities for class discussion and activities, according to their age. Circle Time in particular is used as an opportunity to discuss antagonisms and bullying issues.

Continued bullying

12 For pupils reasonably to be expected to report bullying (either of themselves or of others), they must be assured that there will be no repercussions. Staff dealing with incidents will make quite clear to those responsible for the bullying that there must be no repercussions for others, either directly or indirectly; this may include an instruction that there is to be no further contact whatsoever with named pupils. Any instance of continued bullying or intimidation after an investigation and warning is likely to result in expulsion.

13 The school reserves the right to expel any pupil responsible for serious bullying, even in first cases.