This plan outlines the processes for taking reasonable steps to prevent and respond to student bullying in our school and reflects the Bullying: Preventing and Responding to Student Bullying in Schools Policy of the New South Wales Department of Education and Communities.
At Caldera we know that students develop best where teaching and learning occur within a context of student wellbeing. Student wellbeing at Caldera is the sum of all academic, cognitive and social practices, policies and programs that occur within the school. Given the nature of our students it is paramount that staff, students and the community actively work to establish a safe, structured and supportive environment.
Caldera SSP:
- provides the opportunity for students to develop and improve their cognitive and problem-solving capabilities.
- values the individual differences of all students.
- encourages the involvement of families and our community agencies and supporters.
Statement of purpose
Schools exist in a society where incidence of bullying may occur. Our staff must understand reasons for bullying and how to respond in accordance with the school and departments policies and procedures.
The wellbeing of our students is a paramount priority for our school and bullying in any form is taken seriously.
Any inappropriate behaviour that interferes with the teaching and learning at the school and the wellbeing of students will not be accepted.
Protection
Bullying is repeated verbal, physical, social, or psychological behaviour that is harmful and involves the misuse of power by an individual or group towards one or more persons. Cyber bullying refers to bullying through information and communications technologies.
Bullying can involve humiliation, dominations, intimidation, victimisation, and all forms of harassment including that based on sex, race, disability, homosexuality or transgender. Bullying of any form or for any reason can have long-term effects on those involved including bystanders.
Conflict or fights between equals or single incidents are not defined as bullying .
Schools exist in a society where incidents of bullying behaviour may occur. Preventing and responding to bullying behaviour in learning and working environments is a shared responsibility of all departmental staff, students, parents, caregivers and members of the wider school community.
All members of the school community contribute to the revention of bullying by modelling and promoting appropriate behaviour and respectful relationships.
The Complaints Handling Policy establishes the standard approach to resolving complaints, including complaints about the way a reported incident of bullying has been managed and it is required that it be used in all learning and working environments of the Department of Education. Reasonable disciplinary action conducted in a reasonable manner does not constitute bullying .'
For matters involving bullying which affect departmental employees, refer to the department's Prevention of Bullying in the Workplace Policy (intranet only).
Responsibilities and delegations
Principals
Principals and School Staff willordinarily take reasonable steps to see that the school implements an Anti-bullying Plan that:
- Includes procedures consistent with DN 10/00225 – Reporting incidents involving assaults, threats, intimidation or harassment and the Incident Reporting Policy
- Includes procedures for contacting the Department of Education Child Wellbeing Unit where appropriate
- Includes contact information for the police youth liaison officer (YLO) and school liaison police officer (SLP) where appropriate
- Includes contact information for appropriate support services such as Kids Helpline
- Includes information on departmental appeal procedures and the Complaints Handling Policyis promoted and widely available within the school community and published on any school website
- Is reviewed with the school community at least every three years.
School Staff
School staff have a responsibility to:
- Respect and support students
- Model and promote appropriate behavior. Assist students development of skills to solve problems in appropriate way.
- Have a reasonable knowledge of school and departmental policies relating to bullying behaviour
Respond in a timely manner to incidents of bullying according to the school's Anti-bullying Plan.
In addition, teachers have a responsibility to:
- Provide curriculum and pedagogy that supports students to develop an understanding of bullying and its impact on individuals and the broader community.
- Impose a universal ban on the use of social media by students in classrooms whilst at school.
Students
Students have a responsibility to:
- Behave appropriately, respecting individual differences and diversity
- Behave as responsible digital citizens and follow school rules
- Follow the school Anti-bullying Plan
- Behave as responsible bystanders
- Report incidents of bullying according to their school Anti-bullying Plan.
Parents and Caregivers
Parent and Caregivers have a responsibility to:
- Support their children to become responsible citizens and to develop responsible online behaviour
- Be aware of the school Anti-bullying Plan and assist their children in understanding bullying behaviour
- Support their children in developing positive responses to incidents of bullying consistently with the school Anti-bullying Plan
- Report incidents of school-related bullying behaviour to the school
- Work collaboratively with the school to resolve incidents of bullying when they occur.
Implementation Strategies
- Parents, teachers, students and the community will be aware of the school's position on preventing and responding to bullying and other forms of unsafe or unfair behaviour.
- The school will adopt a four-phase approach to bullying.
Primary Intervention
- Regular professional development for staff relating to preventing and responding to bullying behaviours. Community awareness and input relating to bullying, its characteristics and the school's programs and responses.
- To provide programs and school systems including the school's behaviour management that promote resilience, life and social skills, assertiveness, conflict resolution and problem-solving skills.
- Clarify at the start of each year and at enrolment the school's policy on anti-bullying, mobile phone and social media use.
Early intervention
- Promote the reporting of bullying incidents by children and staff, involving themselves or others.
- Classroom teachers and school executive regularly remind students and staff to report incidents of bullying.
- Encourage families to contact the school if they become aware of a problem.
- Recognise and reward students for positive behaviour and resolution of problems.
Primary Intervention
- Once identified, within a reasonable timeframe each bully, victim and witness will be ordinarily spoken with, and incidents or allegations of serious bullying will be fully investigated and documented.
- Staff, students and their families, identified by others, will be informed of allegations within a reasonable time frame.
- Where practicable, those involved in incidents of bullying will be offered relevant support.
- If student bullying persists, parents will be contacted and consequences implemented, consistent with the school's student wellbeing policies.
- If staff bullying persists, the principal will commence a formal disciplinary action.
Post
- Possible Implications for students who bully will be individually based and may involve:
- exclusion from class
- exclusion from playground
- ongoing counselling from appropriate agency for both victim and bully.
- school suspension
- Students held responsible will be required to collaborate with other students or staff and resolve any issues and develop a plan to manage such incidents more appropriately in the future.
- Incidents related to bullying will be recorded. Actions taken to address the incidents will be noted.
- A review of bullying incidents will occur daily during staff debriefing in order to identify patterns and whether additional resources or support are required.
This will encourage students to reflect and think about other strategies that they can use.
Prevention
Strategies to reinforce positive behaviour could include:
- Regular positive reinforcement in classroom and playground.
These are encouraging words, actions or emotions that follow a particular behavior of a student. This will therefore cause the student to want to repeat the behaviour being reinforced. - Create fair and safe class and school environments.
- Classroom based positive development and support programs
- Drug education program
- Living Skills programs
- Child protection program
Out of Hours Cyber Bullying
In the event of a complaint of cyberbullying occurs outside of school hours, the school may report claims to the police, who are better equipped to investigate. Students are advised to report such conduct to the police and use other services to manage cyberbullying
- Police Ombudsmen 02 9286 1000
- Kidshelp line 1800 55 1800
- Telecommunication Ombudsmen 1800 062 058
- Online resource ‘Bullying No Way' http://bullyingnoway.gov.au/
Response
Processes for dealing with Bullying behaviour will include
- Discuss with staff
- Monitor procedures
- School counsellor as appropriate
- Families notified
- Positive behaviours will be role modeled/reinforced
- Structured collaborative conversations will occur with students to develop improved individual students management plans
Strategies and programs to support any student who has been affected by or engaged in bullying behavior could include
- PD/Health program
- Outside agency support
- School counsellor
Monitoring, evaluation and reporting requirements
Principals are responsible for:
- Implementing the policy within the school through staff meetings
- The school's Anti-bullying Plan being available on the schools website.
Strategies for explicit teaching of dealing with Bullying Behaviour.
Victims
- Get help from someone in your support group: family, teacher, school support team, school counsellor.
- Try to stand up for yourself in a positive way. Say "Stop, I don't like it!"
- Walk away and ignore the bully and places where the bullying occurs.
Bystanders
- Students should be made aware that witnesses to bullying have a very powerful role to play. Early intervention can defuse conflict situations before bullying sets in or gets out of hand. Therefore the following suggestions have been made to support the student who is being bullied.
- If you feel that it is safe to do so, let the person doing the bullying know that what they are doing is bullying and ask them to stop
- Refuse to join in with the bullying and walk away
- Ask a teacher or support person for help
- Support his/her friends and protect them from bullying by being there for them
Families
Families have an important role in managing bullying.
There are things you can do if you think your child is bullying others or being bullied?
- Talk to your child & encourage them to be open
- Talk to your child's class teacher
- Talk to your child's school Principal / School Executive
- Talk to your child's school's counsellor
- Call the Parenting line
- Call the Family Helpline
- Accessing the departments resources on the public website about dealing with bullying issues.
Additional Information
Police Youth Liaison Officer – Nathan Verinder
Police – Tweed Heads Police 07 5536 0999
FACS Helpline – 132 111
FACS Ballina – 02 6686 1911
DET Safety Response Unit – 1300 363 778
Life Line – 131 114
Kids Help Line – 1800 551 800
Metal Health Crisis Line – 1300 569 968
Principal's comment
This plan was developed in consultation with staff and our community. Caldera SSP is experienced in working with students with challenging behaviours. We recognise that both bullies and victims can benefit from having a voice and that their concerns and issues are heard and understood. Caldera school will support our students, families and community to work together to prevent and respond to unsafe behaviours including bullying.
- Principal Keith Marshall
- Staff member- Greg Wright
- Staff member- Rebecca Perriss