Role of Children
- All children will be encouraged to respect the rights of others.
- By-standers will be encouraged to report any instances of bullying that they may be aware of.
- Children should tell their class teacher and parents/guardians if they feel that they are being bullied.
- Children should find private time and report instances of bullying to their class teacher.
- Children should stay within sight of staff during break times.
Our Anti-Bullying Measures as Part of the Curriculum
The school identifies aspects of the curriculum through which positive and lasting influences can be exerted towards forming pupil's attitudes and values.
- Stay safe
- Our ethics programme
- SPHE
- English
- Poems by the children about bullying
- Story – short story/novels cover this topic
- Oral work – broached informally through discussion on current affairs/news items
- Drama – role-play, how we deal with it
- Video on the subject
- Circle time – discussions
- Role of leader in class
- Issues in school, class, local areas
- Form part of class rules
- By use of posters
- Social stories
Physical Aggression
- It includes pushing, shoving, punching, slapping, pinching, kicking, poking and tripping people up. It may also take the form of severe physical assault.
Damage to Property
Personal property can be of focus of attention for the bully, this may result in damage to clothing, school books and other learning material or interference with a pupil's bicycle, skateboard etc.
Extortion
Demands for money may be made, often accompanied by threats. Victims’ lunches or after school money may be taken. Victims may also be forced into theft of property for delivery to the bully.
Intimidation
This is based on the use of very aggressive body language with the voice being used as a weapon.
Abusive Telephone Calls
The abusive anonymous telephone call is a form of verbal intimidation or bullying.
Isolation
A certain person is deliberately isolated, excluded or ignored by some, or all, of the class group. The person engaged in bullying behaviour usually initiates this practice. It may be accompanied by writing insulting remarks about the victim on blackboards or in public places, by passing around notes about or drawings of the victim or by whispering insults about them loud enough to be heard.
Name Calling
Persistent name-calling directed at the same individual(s), which hurts, insults or humiliates, should be regarded as a form of bullying behaviour.
Slagging
This behaviour usually refers to the good-natured banter, which goes on a part of the normal social interchange between people. However, when this slagging extends to very personal remarks aimed again and again at the one individual about appearance, clothing, personal hygiene or involves references of any uncomplimentary nature to members of one's family, particularly if couched in sexual innuendo, then it assumes the form of bullying. It may take the form of suggestive remarks about a pupil's sexual orientation.
Bullying by Text
“Bebo Bullying”
e.g. bullying on social network sites as Facebook, Bebo, Myspace, Twitter, instant messaging.
Sexual Harassment among School Children
The distinction between sexual harassment and general unacceptable behaviour is not clear and the invisibility of sexual harassment will continue unless children can name it and challenge it directly. Examples of sexual harassment include: inappropriate touching, use of derogatory names, insults or sexist jokes.
Homophobic bullying
Racial Harassment/Bullying
Examples include physical assault because of colour, ethnicity or nationality; use of derogatory names, insults or racist jokes; incitement of others to behave in a racist way.
