Bullying Information
Burgmann Anglican School takes bullying very seriously and has a clear policy for dealing with such behaviour. However no matter how good our policies and procedures, curriculum and class room behaviour strategies, the reality is that bullying and harassment will occur in all schools and in the workplace. Communication is the key. It is very hard to deal with issues of bullying unless the staff are aware of what is happening.
Australian research suggests that up to 50% of all young people subjected to bullying do not report the incidents either for fear of reprisals or because the victims feel they are somehow to blame. The school acknowledges this and encourages the co-operation of parents in being vigilant for certain signs, often seen in young people who are being victimised.
These signs include:
- being frightened of walking to or from school;
- changing their usual route;
- not wanting to take public transport;
- begging you to drive them to school when they would normally walk or ride;
- being unwilling to go to school;
- feeling ill in the mornings;
- wanting to skip school;
- a decline in the quality of their schoolwork;
- coming home regularly with books or clothes destroyed;
- coming home starving because the bully has taken their lunch;
- becoming withdrawn, starting stammering, lacking in confidence;
- becoming distressed and anxious;
- stopping eating;
- attempting or threatening suicide;
- crying themselves to sleep;
- having nightmares;
- "losing" possessions or money;
- asking for money or stealing money (to pay the bully);
- refusing to say what's wrong due to fear of retaliation by the bully;
- having unexplained bruises, scratches or cuts;
- beginning to bully other children;
- becoming unreasonable and aggressive;
- giving implausible excuses to explain any of the above.
If any of the following signs are observed, please contact the class teacher or the Head of the appropriate school (either Bev Galloway, Scott Anderson or John Foulcher).
The school understands its duty of care to its students and recognises that everyone has the right to learn in a safe environment. However we can only act if we have the information. We encourage children to actively report incidents of teasing and bullying as we believe that it is important to cater for the development of the whole child. We confirm our commitment to ensuring that all students in our care are protected from harassment.
Further resources
www.michaelcarr-gregg.com.au - excellent site for teachers, parents and students
www.ncab.org.au - National Coalition Against Bullying (NCAB)
www.education.unisa.edu.au/bullying/ - Bullying in Schools and What to do About It - a website by Dr. Ken Rigby