Preventing and Responding to Bullying for Youth Activities.

Transcription

1 Preventing and Responding to Bullying for Youth Activities. The guidelines have been developed in partnership by Sunderland Voluntary Sector Youth Forum (SVSYF) and The Sunderland City Council Youth Service (Youth Development Group Quality Assurance Team) - May

2 Preventing and Responding to Bullying for Youth Activities Why it matters The harmful impact of bullying on young people s wellbeing can be serious and prolonged, and is a top concern for children, young people and their families 1 Government guidance, has defined bullying as: behaviour, usually repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group, physically or emotionally. One person or a group can bully others. (Safe from bullying in youth activities, DCSF 2009, pg5) Bullying can occur in any of group of children and young people and sometimes between adults. Effective anti-bullying work is closely related to how we celebrate and welcome difference. It is important that every organisation that delivers services to children and young people recognises the extent and impact of bullying behaviour and takes steps to stop it happening. This can be achieved by following these simple steps; Written statements and procedures for preventing bullying 1. A clear anti-bullying policy 2. Statements within your code of behaviour that sets out dos and don ts for how everyone involved in the organisation is expected to behave. Open discussions and review sessions 3. Regular discussions / input about bullying issues with the children and young people who use your organisation 4. A comments, compliments and complaints procedure 5. Staff, volunteers, children and young people and families have easy access to clear information about your anti-bullying policy and procedures, and your complaints procedure. Responding to Bullying 6. A clear written anti-bullying procedure for managing and responding to incidents of bullying. 7. Support and training for all staff on dealing with all forms of bullying Involving children, children and young people and families in developing antibullying procedures. 8. Where possible codes of behaviour and anti-bullying procedures should be written by children and children and young people with adults supporting them. 9. There should be an expectation that children and young people should uphold the procedures. 10. Children and young people should be involved in designing posters, leaflets and publicity materials that promote a safe and welcoming group culture. 2

3 1 Apr 07 Mar 08, Bullying was the biggest single issue children and young people referred to when contacting ChildLine, 32,500 wanted to talk about bullying with a further 5,132 mentioning it alongside other issues. The wide diversity of organisations within the voluntary sector working with children and young people makes it very difficult to design a one-size-fits-all approach to polocies and procedures that support anti-bullying. These guidelines have been developed to help organisations ensure they have the correct procedures in place to deal with bullying, and they sit within a range of other policies to ensure the wellbeing and safety of all children and young people who access youth provision in the voluntary sector. They procedures and templates will need to be adapted and adopted to meet the needs of individual organisations, and reviewed annually. The guidelines have been developed in partnership by Sunderland Voluntary Sector Youth Forum (SVSYF) and The Sunderland City Council Youth Service (Youth Development Group Quality Assurance Team) - April Acknowledgements: The Sunderland City Council Youth Service and Sunderland Voluntary Sector Youth Forum (SVSYF) acknowledge the Sunderland City Council (draft) Stop Bullying guidelines, Safe from Bullying in Youth Activities produced by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, Safe network Standards - Children England, Respectme, Scotland s anti-bullying service, DCSF Cyberbullying, Youth Work in a Digital Age Guidelines for the use of ICT and Social Media, safeguarding staff and children and young people (SVSYF) as valuable sources of information for this document. 3

4 Preventing and Responding to Bullying Contents Introduction - Why it matters Page 2,3 Anti-Bullying Guidelines for youth activities (Guidelines for practitioners in Sunderland who deliver services for children and children and young people) 1. Background and purpose Page 5 2. What is bullying? Page 5 3. Types of bullying Page 6 4. When does bullying constitute criminal activity? Page 6 5. Indicators Page 6,7 6. Bullying in youth activities Page 7 7. Tackling bullying Page 7 8. Developing and implementing an anti-bullying policy Page 8 9. Reactive as opposed to preventative approaches Page Impact of adult behaviour with regards to bullying Page 8,9 11. Training Page Responding to bullying Page Sunderland Anti-bullying Charter Mark Page Support for children and young people Page Support for parents / carers and professionals Page 14 Appendix 1. Types of bullying Page 15 1a. Cyber bullying in more detail Page When does bullying constitute criminal action? Page Those at most risk of bullying Page Steps to produce your organisations anti-bullying policy Page Template anti-bullying policy (adapt and adopt if necessary) Page a. Bullying report form Page b. Suggested procedure for dealing with allegations of bullying Page Suggested monitoring process for reporting of bullying incidents Page Sunderland Anti-Bullying Charter Mark Page (The process for youth work organisations to achieve the Bronze Award) 4

5 Preventing and Responding to Bullying for Youth Activities 1. Background and purpose Guidelines for practitioners in Sunderland who deliver services to children and young people Bullying is a social phenomenon and can be found inside and outside school, at home or in the community. It is important that every organisation that delivers services to children and young people recognises the extent and impact of bullying behaviour and takes steps to stop it happening. Each year, at least 16 children and young people kill themselves in the UK because they are being bullied and no one in authority is doing anything to tackle the bullying ( All organisations (paid or unpaid) who work with children and young people owe them a duty of care and must take all reasonable steps to ensure their safety. Every Child Matters: Change for Children (2005), identifies as an aim in its Outcomes Framework that: Children and young people should be safe from bullying and discrimination. It is compulsory for schools to enforce measures that will encourage good behaviour and prevent all forms of bullying, however bullying does not only occur in schools it occurs in the community, away from schools, as well. Cyber bullying in particular has blurred the boundaries between school and private time, services that are delivered to children and young people work together to prevent bullying and allow children and young people to feel safe in their community. Everyone has the right to live in an atmosphere free from bullying and discrimination, effective anti-bullying practice gives children and young people the assurance that they are cared for in a safe and friendly environment and upholds their fundamental right to be safe. Anti-bullying guidelines can support consistent responses to bullying. These guidelines are aimed at managers, staff and volunteers in youth activities (local authority and voluntary sector providers) to support discussion and raise awareness, so that services can make informed choices in developing anti-bullying policies and strategies. It can also support organisations meet the criteria to achieve the Sunderland Anti Bullying Charter Mark. 2. What is bullying? Bullying is repetitive, wilful or persistent behaviour intended to cause harm, usually repeated over a period of time that deliberately hurts another person or group either physically or emotionally and can be carried out by one person or a group of people, although one off incidents can in some cases also be defined as bullying. If the victim might be in danger then intervention is urgently needed. It differs from general banter in that there is a deliberate intention to hurt or humiliate and it is usually persistent. There is an imbalance of power that leaves the person being bullied feeling defenceless. 5

6 3. Types of bullying There are a number of recognised types of bullying including physical, verbal, emotional, prejudice based i.e. racist, homophobic and disables; sexual and cyber bullying (APPENDIX. 1 Types of Bullying and 1a. Cyber Bullying in more detail). Bullying takes many different forms such as making offensive comments; hitting; harassment; taking belongings; inappropriate touching; producing offensive graffiti; spreading hurtful and untruthful rumours; or always leaving someone out of groups. It also includes when a young person is pressured to act against their will by others. The power difference between bullies and victims determines the nature of the interaction. For example, it may just be good-natured teasing, or rough play, or occasional fights between those of similar or equal strength. When it moves beyond this, it is bullying. Any form of bullying will not be tolerated, whether it is child / child, adult / child, child / adult or even adult / adult. Bullying cannot be dealt with in isolation, but needs to be dealt with in the wider context of developing and creating a culture based on care and respect for others. This means providing a safe, supportive and empowering environment. 4. When does bullying constitute criminal action? Some forms of bullying do amount to criminal behaviour ranging from threatening behaviour and harassment to common assault or indecent assault. There are various Government Acts that place certain duties on eliminating discrimination and promoting equality of opportunity (APPENDIX. 2 when does bullying constitute criminal action?). Involving the police is potentially a serious step and the police would not normally want to become involved in internal matters. The expectation would be that the individual establishment would resolve bullying matters, although the welfare of the victim must be given priority. 5. Indicators Bullying is one of the key issues that children and young people are concerned about. It undermines the ability to concentrate and learn and can impact upon a child s or young person s chances of achieving their full potential. Bullying causes harm to those who bully, those who are bullied and those who watch. Being bullied undermines self-esteem and confidence, sometimes with devastating consequences. Bullying can result in long-term psychological harm and in extreme cases, suicide. It damages children s and young people s physical and mental health and their ability to learn and build and sustain relationships. Staff / volunteers need to be more aware of the effect of bullying and as it can be subtler with verbal remarks or on-line bullying; they need to be trained to recognise when it is taking place and know what strategies to use to prevent it (APPENDIX. 3 Those at most risk of bullying / indicators of bullying and bullies). Consideration needs to be made that often those who are bullied / have been bullied become bullies (reactive victims). They are also sometimes victims of abuse and neglect and need support for their own particular problem. 6

7 Sometimes a child or young person who bullies will be relieved to change their behaviour because they have been uncomfortable with it, they may understand the harm they have caused and wish to change or they may have been pressured by others into behaving in a certain way. It is important to find constructive ways to help those who bully to change their behaviour and understand that it is the behaviour that is not liked, not the person. It is often difficult to trace bullying and to make decisions about the form it takes. Care should be taken to establish facts and to understand the differences between normal happenings, such as arguments, disputes, fights and actual bullying. 6. Bullying in youth activities Involvement in youth activities can support children and young people to make friends, develop skills and build confidence. Every child and young person should feel safe to learn, play and socialise and be safe from victimisation and discrimination. Many children and young people look to youth provision as a refuge from bullying they are experiencing elsewhere; therefore the message needs to be clear from the start that any form of bullying is unacceptable. Bullying can only be stopped with a combination of prevention and response, with preventative work that is ongoing and sustained, providing consistency and a clear framework. When an incident occurs, the bullying behaviour needs to be dealt with as well as support for the victim. Consideration should also be given to agreeing a way forward with the young person who is bullied and checking whether an intervention has secured change in the behaviour of the child or young person who is the bully, as well as addressing any prejudice within the whole group or outside it. Effective anti bullying practice gives all children and young people the assurance that they are cared for in a safe and friendly environment, upholding their fundamental right to be safe. 7. Tackling bullying As with all steps taken to keep children and young people safe, early intervention is better to prevent harm than waiting for incidents to occur. Tackling bullying is the responsibility of all who work with children and young people and having a nominated staff member who will support this, with responsibility for maintaining the anti bullying policy, responding to bullying incidents and ensuring that records are kept. Children and young people tend to be extremely reluctant to report bullying when it occurs. Factors behind this include a feeling that parents and staff cannot do anything about it, previous negative experiences of reporting where adults have failed to listen to, respect and address individual fears and concerns and that telling adults will only make things worse telling tales and feeling too frightened to tell. It is important to give children and young people the confidence and feeling of safety and security that can encourage them to tell adults about being bullied or for those who witness bullying, as adults often under estimate the amount of bullying that takes place in their school, community / youth project etc. The ethos of the youth group is important in creating an inclusive environment where bullying is not tolerated, all forms of prejudice are challenged and equality is promoted. Additionally, children and young people should be discouraged from colluding with bullying as those who stand by and watch are contributing to bullying behaviour as much as those who reinforce it. Developing and implementing group rules with children and young people can promote positive behaviour and contribute to managing a safe environment, including the introduction of an anti bullying policy. 7

8 Effective communication is key in creating an environment where bullying and harassment is not tolerated, making sure everyone knows what bullying is and what they can do if they see or experience it including setting out the consequences for those who bully. Partnerships between workers in youth groups and other services are important for a whole community approach, with schools and youth groups for example forming links with local shop keepers, transport companies, community police, community and leisure services etc to coordinate an adequate and intelligent response to bullying. This also includes the involvement parents and carers. 8. Developing and implementing an anti bullying policy An anti bullying policy is an important way for everyone to understand what behaviour is acceptable, what is unacceptable and how bullying will be dealt with. The policy must be written in clear language that is understood by all. The long-term goal should be to establish an environment where the action of bullying is made more difficult and children and young people feel safe and confident. The policy should be promoted by all workers in the organisation to all children and young people, parents / carers and staff / volunteers on a regular basis. It should be no more than two pages in length if it is to be understood by everyone in explaining the organisation s thinking behind the need for the issue of bullying to be addressed. Guidelines on the structure of an anti-bullying policy are given in Appendix. 4. Steps to producing your organisations policy guidelines and Appendix 5. Template Anti-bullying policy) 9. Reactive as opposed to preventative approaches Anti-Bullying policies are most effective when tackling bullying is perceived as an ongoing and cyclic process not a one off intervention. Anti-Bullying policies and initiatives have traditionally been seen as reactive, designed to deal with and penalise when it happens in an adult supervised setting. This highlights the reactive penalties that will be incurred rather than promoting a preventative, consistent approach, which encourages children and young people to confide in workers. The reactive nature of this traditional approach tends to reinforce the false belief that bullying is an inevitable part of growing up. There is the additional challenge to putting together preventative strategies when the nature of bullying changes and evolves as technology develops, APPENDIX. 1a) - cyber bullying explained in more detail 10. Impact of adult behaviour with regards to bullying All workers are role models for children and young people. In order to influence behaviour, it is best to reflect on how adult behaviour is perceived for example if staff / volunteers bully other staff, this will impact upon what children and young people see as acceptable behaviour; therefore staff need to model and teach effective behaviour management and coping strategies so that these skills can be learnt. Staff / volunteers also need to model and teach assertive behaviour rather than aggressive behaviour when dealing conflict i.e. teaching them to make assertive statements such as I feel when you, can help them become more emotionally literate and able to deal with conflict. Verbal aggression and aggressive / confrontational body language is more likely to escalate than diffuse a difficult situation and workers need to be aware of their own body language. E.g. finger pointing. 8

9 Workers also need to take care when speaking to children and children and young people that they do not use sarcasm or other demeaning form of language, or make any negative comments about their appearance or background, as this reinforces a bullying culture. 11. Training The effectiveness of an anti bullying policy will depend on how well workers are trained to address bullying as all staff need to be aware of what their responsibilities are in relation to creating an environment where bullying is not acceptable. Advice and support can be accessed through the Anti Bullying Alliance Also, Sunderland Children s Safeguarding Board and Sunderland City Council Anti Bullying Co-ordinator ( ) may also be able to provide support and training. Children and young people can also play an important role in preventing bullying. This may include training children and young people in peer support roles as well as awareness raising and regular discussion around homophobia, racism and cyberbullying. 12. Responding to bullying When bullying does occur, a clear consistent response is essential (APPENDIX. 5 Bullying report form). There is no one right method that can be applied to resolve all incidents of bullying. A number of interventions should be available all with the shared goal of ensuring that they protect the child / young person being bullied and challenge those who are bullying in a manner which will not add to the cycle of fear and anger but makes it clear that bullying is unacceptable. Assessing the nature of the incident When trying to assess the nature of an incident and the type of response needed, the following factors should normally be taken into account: Has the child / young person who is experiencing distress been subjected to repeated incidents of unacceptable behaviour? Is there evidence that behaviour is planned / pre-meditated? How do the child / young person perceive themselves in relation to those allegedly involved? How distressed is the child / young person and what effect is the situation having on their self-esteem, feelings about attending the school / service, motivation and relationships with peers, physical well being etc? Who was involved in the alleged incident? Where did / do the alleged incidents take place? Are there any witnesses? Is there any background to the alleged incidents? Who reported the incident and to whom? How do others involved in the incident perceive it? What explanations do they give? What is required to resolve the difficulty now and in the future? Is the alleged incident sufficiently serious to warrant police involvement? 9

10 Steps to take if evidence indicates that bullying has taken place Any steps should be investigated in a timely manner. Delays should only occur at the end of a day or a session and, where possible, investigation of an incident should be carried out within three working days. Appropriate measures should be put in place to support all those involved. Any disciplinary measures should be in line with the organisation s disciplinary policy. Perpetrators need to understand that the incident will be recorded, that the behaviour is not acceptable. Actions should consider the age of those involved, the repetition and nature of incidents, the level of premeditation, the numbers involved, knowledge of individuals involved, the level of distress caused and the location and time of the incident. Parents of those involved should be informed of what has happened and negotiate appropriate support. If physical / sexual assault have taken place, exclusion can be considered and guidance sought from the designated Child Protection Officer / Designated Person. If the allegation is extreme, such as physical and / or sexual assault or theft or extortion, the parent and child / young person should be informed of their right to report this to the police, as these are criminal acts. Decisions to involve outside agencies to support agreed actions should be made as well as informing other staff of the incident requesting confidentiality but increased awareness. Reporting and recording of incidents All incidents that are evidenced should be recorded, along with follow up actions taken (APPENDIX. 6 - ). Information should be collated and analysed to identify trends, such as hotspots, particular types of bullying that awareness raising and / or actions can help prevent future occurrences, evaluate what strategies work best in which cases and train staff accordingly etc. A report should be given to line management / management committees on a regular basis especially to inform those involved when the anti-bullying policy is reviewed. Monitoring of those involved should take place and appropriate follow up agreed. Record keeping and data protection issues Generally, in order to ensure that there is no breach of data protection regulations when gathering and storing information, data controllers should ensure that data must be: Fairly and lawfully processed Processed for limited purposes Adequate, relevant and not excessive Accurate Not kept for longer than is necessary Processed in accordance with the data subject s rights Secure 10

11 The Data Protection Act obliges the person controlling the data to make readily available to the person concerned certain information including what personal data is being held and for what purposes. There are grounds for withholding certain information. For example, information relating to third parties may be withheld if it is reasonable to do so, or if it is likely to cause harm or distress to the third party by revealing that information. It may also be withheld if supplying it to the child / young person would prejudice the prevention or detection of a crime e.g. If the bullying were of a serious nature that police are involved then data can be withheld, though this would have to be evidenced by the service. It is up to professional judgement as to what is thought to be an acceptable period of time to hold data and that the service needs to be able to justify its decision on this. Decisions about this should be based upon the nature and seriousness of the incident, the effects on those involved and whether the incident was resolved to the satisfaction of all involved. Complaints procedures Procedures need to be in place that respond effectively to complaints from parents / carers about how organisations are dealing with bullying. Care needs to be taken to ensure that the procedure is easy to understand and follow and that parents / carers are made aware of what they can do. Tougher measures This might include sanctions such as removal from the group / session, withholding participation in activities such as trips and events and / or privileges, with the opportunity to redress depending upon the level of the incident, a fixed period of exclusion or total exclusion where the offence is very serious. There should be consideration of consistency with the sanctions decided and implemented. Strategies for the prevention of bullying Implementing anti-bullying strategies is a complex and prolonged process because of its systemic nature. Implementation must come from the whole community involved. What should be remembered though is that the way in which adults react to bullying contributes to the culture of the service and can make it more or less likely that bullying would happen in the future. Summary Where preventative measures are adopted and a climate of positive concern is promoted, bullying can be greatly reduced through two components to effective anti bullying practice; - 1. Preventing bullying incidents 2. Responding to them. Regular consultation with children and young people and the reflection of workers in managing the anti bullying policy is the most effective way to find out if anti bullying interventions are working and that children and young people feel safe. There are three key questions to ask: 1. Does the victim feel safe? 2. Did the bully s behaviour change? 3. What have we learned? 11

12 13. Sunderland s Anti-Bullying Charter Mark provides ideas and examples of good practice. It is not legally binding, but is designed as a public pledge that schools and other organisations will not tolerate bullying and will take steps to deal with it effectively. This Charter Mark is being adapted to suit other service settings in implementing an anti bullying environment. Youth work organisations are actively encouraged to work towards gaining this Charter Mark. (successful organisations are eligible to display the charter mark on their headed paper/ in publicity literature / on their website etc) (APPENDIX. 7 How to achieve the Sunderland Anti-Bullying Charter Mark). 12

13 14. SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE Childline Free 24 hour telephone line for children and young people Phone Connexions For children and young people aged Phone or text Calls from landlines are free so they will not show on phone bills. Calls from mobiles are charged, but if you ring from your mobile they will ring you back. NSPCC 24 hour helpline, though they recommend that children call Childline. Phone This site is for year olds. It provides confidential, one-to-one online advice or you can send a private message to an advisor and receive a personal reply. The Hide Out (Domestic Violence) The hideout provides help, information and support for children and young people where you have experienced domestic violence or if you know someone else who is going through it and you are looking for help and information. You can hide your visit. It suggests contacting Childline to talk to someone directly. Kidscape Kidscape is committed to keeping children safe from abuse. Kidscape is the first charity in the UK established specifically to prevent bullying. It is for children and young people, parents and carers and professionals. Phone from 10 4pm Monday to Friday Runaway Helpline This is a free and confidential help line for those who have runaway from home, giving advice and support. Phone Stonewall Stonewall also works with a whole range of agencies to address the needs of lesbians, gay men and bisexuals in the wider community. 13

14 15. SUPPORT FOR PARENTS / CARERS AND PROFESSIONALS As well as information for children and young people, the following may be useful:- ACE (Advisory Centre for Education) This is an independent advice service for parents on all issues relating to state education in England and Wales. Phone open from 2 5 pm Monday to Friday. Sunderland Anti-Bullying Service This is a voluntary organisation that offers support and advice to those affected by bullying. They offer training and different ideas and strategies to individuals, schools and organisations, to help them deal with bullying. They can also offer an independent mediation service. Phone pm Monday to Friday Parentline Plus Offers a free 24 hour, confidential help line to parents and carers on all aspects of parenting. Also provides secure help line via the website. Phone Textphone: Youngminds Parents Information Service A free, confidential telephone service providing information and advice for any adult with concerns about the mental health of a child or young person. They provide training and support through our Consultancy and Training Service for practitioners in all agencies who work with children. Phone from 10 1pm on a Monday and a Friday, from 1 4pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, as well as from 6 to 8pm on a Wednesday evening. The Wearside Domestic Forum This Forum will challenge and prevent domestic violence by ensuring the provision of appropriate services for the protection of women and children experiencing domestic violence. They have a 24- hour help line. Phone For local information and contact numbers from a variety of organisations who can help, look on the Sunderland website under Life Events and Dealing with Domestic Violence. Bullying UK This charity s work has expanded over the years and apart from giving practical information and advice to children and young people and their parents through the website and by , it includes work with schools, youth organisations, police forces and health trusts, running workshops and speaking at conferences. Stop Text Bully This is a website dedicated to mobile phone bullying, containing advice for children and young people, including how to contact their operator. 14

15 April 2011 APPENDIX 1 Types of Bullying Listed below are a number of recognised types of bullying and examples of what this could entail. Physical for example, pushing, punching, kicking, hitting, accidentally bumping, spitting, taking money or other things or damaging them, stopping from leaving a room or building by getting in the way, face pulling, gestures and other forms of violence Verbal such as name calling, spreading rumours and making things up to get someone into trouble, verbal threats, nasty teasing or jokes, or writing nasty things about someone and leaving hurtful notes. Indirect / Emotional such as excluding, not talking, leaving out, tormenting, being deliberately unfriendly, making fun of someone because they find some things difficult or just to get at them because they are better than most people, for example prettier or cleverer than others, or by making them do things they don t want to do, possibly by getting others to get at them as well until they do it Prejudice-based bullying for example: o Racist racism is a belief that some races are superior to others based upon their skin colour, nationality, cultural or ethnic origin. This includes bullying of Roma Gypsy and Travellers of Irish Heritage. Organisations are encouraged to report all racist incidents to the Local authority via Racial discrimination occurs when someone is treated less favourably because of their racial, national or ethnic origins. Racial harassment can take a number of different forms of which bullying is one and affects the child or young person s dignity. For example racist jokes, racial abuse or explicit racist conduct. o Homophobic such as hostile action that can be physical or verbal, against lesbians, gay or bisexual or those perceived to be lesbians, gay or bisexual. Also transphobic (transgender) bullying, or those experiencing gender dysphoria (feeling that they belong to another gender or do not conform with the gender role prescribed to them). It is also bullying when someone is bullied because their parent / carer of a child or young person is a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. The term gay as an insult is unacceptable and should be challenge. o Disability children and young people with Special Educational Needs and disabilities are often more at risk of bullying than their peers. This includes bullying that targets a particular aspect of a condition such as sensitivity to light, sound or sensory stimuli; and manipulative bullying, where the perpetrator tries to get the victim to act in a certain way or do something they should not do i.e. steal, when they may not be able to recognise that they should not do this, similarly with conditional friendship where the victim is allowed to be in a friendship group with certain conditions that may humiliate or put them in danger. Sometimes a hierarchy can develop between children and young people with varied disabilities where bullying can occur, similarly between children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. o Faith / Religion such as targeting someone because of their religious dress, religious observations or faith community, especially incidents of Islamaphobia. o Sexual for example, unwanted physical contact or abusive comments, sexual innuendoes and propositions, looks and comments about appearance, attractiveness or lack of, emerging puberty, pornographic material, graffiti with sexual content and in the extreme form, sexual assault or rape. o Cyberbullying this is a method of bullying, rather than a type of bullying, where new technology is used, such as text or video messages, hate web sites, chat rooms or instant messaging (IM) or s, or a public posting designed to hurt or embarrass, or Bluejacking which uses Bluetooth technology to send bullying messages. Note happy slapping incidents, e.g. when someone/a group of people assault someone else and record it on their mobile phone, which can then be sent to third parties for their viewing is not bullying but assault and should be reported to the police. 15

16 APPENDIX 1a cyber bullying in more detail Cyberbulllying in more detail Bullying is any form is unacceptable and with new technologies comes new forms of bullying, cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is no difference from any other forms of bullying; the behaviour is the same and the impact is no less devastating. 1. What is Cyberbullying? Cyberbullying is the term used to define bullying behaviour that takes place via mobile phone or over the internet through s, instant messaging and social networking sites. 2. How is technology used to bully? 16

17 NB: Mobile phones be aware Happy Slapping is a term used to describe the filming of violent incidents on mobile phones. This is assault and should be treated as such. It should not be such as just a bullying incident. The footage is evidence that an assault has taken place and must be reported to the police for investigation. 3. How to encourage responsible use of technologies. Adults have an important role to play in explaining a child or young person s rights and responsibilities when using new technologies. Knowing how to identify when they or others are cyberbullying, or being cyberbullied will help with building a safe environment. When used appropriately, new technologies can and do provide excellent opportunities, opening a new world for finding resources and meeting new and existing friends. 4. Important points to discuss with children and children and young people. Online relationships are no different from relationships off-line. Bbe mindful of the fact that you are communicating differently, and without the benefit of being able to read gestures, facial expressions and tone of voice it is easy to misinterpret what may be seen on screen. NB: It may be worthwhile familiarising yourself with abbreviations (i.e. LOL Laugh out loud) and codes of netiquette. Be respectful of other people s privacy. Never give away personal information. If you wouldn t say it, don t send it. Be polite. There s always a history, so anything you send / say can be traced. 5. Additional pointers for organisations. If appropriate you may want to discuss an organisational code of conduct. Get the children and young people involved and discuss and record acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. Put this code of conduct on the wall as a visual reminder. 6. What to do if a child tells me that are being cyber-bullied DON T PANIC!! Your initial reaction is vital. Listen, learn, involve and resolve Assure them that they have done the right thing by telling you. Listen and learn Decide a plan of action with the young person Go though any messages that they have received and kept Asking them not to open any further online or text messages from these addresses and phone numbers, but to allow you to open them instead. Changing their mobile phone number. Changing their online profile. Involve other agencies Support the young person 7. What do I do if I discover that a child is cyberbullying? Remain calm Ask them what s been happening and find out what s behind their behaviour. Don t label the young person a bully. When you ve established the catalyst or reasons behind the cyberbullying behaviour, explain why this behaviour is wrong. Explain bullying consequences Agree a way forward 17

18 8. Cyberbullying and the law Most children and young people use mobile phones and the internet appropriately; however when technology is abused there may be legal consequences. There are 4 UK statute laws that are relevant to the use of IT in relation to bullying The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 The Malicious Communications Act 1998 The Communications Act 2003 Click here to see how each law relates to bullying and specifically to cyber bullying. If the bullying is based on sexual, racial or religious grounds, prosecution could be sought through anti-discriminatory laws. Remember: Bullying is never acceptable.it is not a normal part of growing up. 9. Some Useful Resources: Cyberbullying a whole school approach (DFCSF) Cyberbullying Are you switched on? For further information: respectme s website offers practical advice and guidance for adults on addressing bullying behaviour. There is also a section specifically for children and children and young people offering practical advice on what to do if they re being bullied. Digital citizenship is about building safe spaces and communities, and using online presence to grow and shape your world in a safe, creative way. ChildLine s website has a bullying section for children and young people and adults. Childnet International works in partnership with other organisations to help make the internet a safe place for children and children and young people. Kidscape has a range of information for both children and adults, with some interactive sections for children and young people on responding to bullying. Stoptextbully has a lot of information on text bullying specific to children and children and young people. The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre website 18

19 APPENDIX 2 When does bullying constitute criminal action? Note: Children under the age of 10 cannot be prosecuted for a criminal offence. For example: 1. Threatening behaviour Where a child or young person who has been bullied has been threatened, the bully may have committed the offence of threatening behaviour under Section 5 of the Public Order Act This provides that: A person is guilty of an offence if he o uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour; or o displays any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting, within the hearing or sight of a person likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress thereby. 2. Common Assault or Indecent Assault If the bullied child or young person is physically or sexually assaulted, the bully / bullies may have committed the criminal offence of common assault or indecent assault. Both offences can be committed without actually touching the victim. However, in practice, the police are unlikely to act unless physical contact has been made. What is assault? It is an intentional or reckless act that causes the target to fear immediate and unlawful violence. The conduct takes the form of threatening acts, words, gestures or a combination of any two or all three. The assailant must have the ability to carry out any threat at the time and no application of force is necessary. Depending upon the severity, this can be an arrestable offence. 3. Harassment Under The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 it may be possible for injunctions to be put in place to restrict the bullying child s behaviour and for damages to be claimed for the harm suffered by the bullied child. The Act also contains two criminal offences in cases of bullying: The offence of harassment; and The offence of putting people in fear of violence A criminal prosecution cannot proceed unless harassment has taken place on at least two separate occasions. What is harassment? Intention to cause another alarm, distress or torment by using abusive, threatening or insulting words or behaviour; or displays any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting. For example, a young person repeatedly sends threatening or abusive texts and s to another young person and they are worried or upset by them, this can be seen as harassment. 4. Safeguarding Under the Children Act 1989 a bullying issue should be addressed as a child protection concern when there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm It will sometimes be appropriate to report bullying incidents to social services officers, following the organisations safeguarding procedures. 5. Government Acts Under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, all public bodies have a duty to eliminate discrimination, promote equality of opportunity and promote good race relations including tackling racist bullying. Regulations under the Equality Act 2006 outlaw discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation in the provision of goods and services. The Disability Discrimination act 1995 makes it unlawful to discriminate against disabled persons in the provision of facilities and services. Under the DDA 2005, all public bodies have a duty to have regard to the need to eliminate discrimination and harassment on the grounds of disability. 19

20 APPENDIX 3 - Those at most risk from bullying Particularly vulnerable to bullying are those who are: Physically handicapped or leaning disabled Children and young people who suffer abuse or neglect Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender children and children and young people The children of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender parent / s Children and young people from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities, including Gypsy /Roma and Traveller of Irish Heritage, refugees and asylum seekers Children people growing up in care / institutional settings Children and young people returning to school after extended periods of illness Seen or perceived to be different e.g. because of their size or shape, wear glasses etc. Newcomers to the youth group Living in a particular postcode Those where English is not their first language Also vulnerable are children and children and young people who: Have poor social and communication skills Lack the confidence to seek help Lack friends Feel isolated Have unusual physical characteristics Choose to stay with adults Those from unpopular families Have accents or racial differences Are vulnerable through SEN, disability or child protection issues Are at transition stages in education Have opposite gender characteristics Are from families where there is overprotective parenting, or family stress Indicators of bullying Recent research has indicated the following signs and symptoms of bullying on children and children and young people: 1. Physical o Disturbed sleep / nightmares o Bed wetting o Headaches o Colds or flu o Stomach aches o Feeling sick o Fits / faints o Dizziness o Hyperventilation o Backache o Physical injuries which they cannot give a convincing explanation for such as cuts and bruises, pains in the arms or legs, particularly if this is a regular occurrence, or occurs during their time at the service. o Cuts, bruises, bite marks and cigarette burns can also be a sign of self-harm in response to bullying o Frequent illnesses 20

21 2. Emotional o Anxious o Mood swings or apparent changes in personality o Bad temper o Constant anxiety or nervousness o Depression o Unhappy o Tearfulness for no apparent reason o Feeling of helplessness o Lack of confidence and negative self-image o Hostility and defensiveness o Attempts or threatens suicide o Starts to stammer 3. Behavioural signs o Withdrawn avoids physical and eye contact, general nervousness, reluctance to talk o Are frequently late or leave early o Absences and or truancy o Less active and effective participation and frequent unexplained absences o Unable to concentrate / distracted o Eating disorders o Alcohol / drug use o Self-harming o Behaving in a disruptive and challenging way o Change route to school, community setting etc o Begs to be driven to a venue and not take public transport o Afraid to use the Internet or mobile and is nervous or jumpy when a cyber message is received 4. General o Torn or damaged clothing o May frequently lose possessions, money, items of clothing, equipment etc. or begin to steal A child or young person who shows one or more of these indicators is not necessarily being bullied, but they are a good indication that something is causing them difficulty and distress. You should take the time to find out what is bothering them and support them in accessing help. Many of the indicators listed are also common to children and young people who are experiencing abuse at the hands of an adult. If you suspect this as a follow up on the indicators observed, or if the child or young person discloses abuse to you, then you must act in accordance with your service s Child Protection policy. If there is a disclosure ensure that the person who the child or young person discloses to receives adequate support as well. Indicators displayed by those who are bullying It is more difficult to define indicators displayed by children and young people who are bullying. There are different types: o Physical bullies are action orientated. As they get older, their attacks usually become more aggressive. o Verbal bullies use words to hurt or humiliate others. It is quick and to the point and there are no physical scars. o Relational bullies try to convince their peers to exclude or reject a person or certain people and cut the victims off from their social connections. This type of bullying is linked to verbal bullying e.g. spreading rumours. 21

22 o Reactive victims on the other hand straddle the fence of being a bully and or victim. They are often the hardest to identify. Reactive victims often taunt bullies. They are impulsive and react quickly to intentional and unintentional physical encounters. Often they start as victims and become bullies as they start to retaliate. They tend to goad the bully and then fight back and claim self-defence. Bullies display general characteristics such as: 1. Physical o Use of physical strength to intimidate, influence and impress others o Take or damage property. 2. Emotional o Refusal / inability to empathise with others o Desire to be in control or dominate others o Have difficulty working cooperatively with others o Inability / refusal to accept responsibility for actions, often expressing the opinion that the responsibility for the bullying lies with the victim, e.g. unable to stand up for themselves o Tendency to relate to others in a negative way, e.g. persistently making negative comments about people s appearances, their intelligence, their ability, their family etc. 3. Behavioural o Profess an exaggerated high self-opinion, as they suffer from low self-esteem and bully to give a sense of power and superiority. o Pretend that they are not interested in certain things or activities in areas in which they themselves do not excel, often ridiculing those that do excel. o Are often attention seekers? o Will establish their power base by testing the response of less powerful members of the group, watching how they will react when small things happen. o Bully because they believe they are popular and have the support of the others. o If there are no consequences to the bad behaviour; if the victim does not complain and if the peer group silently or even actively colludes, the bully will continue with the behaviour. o They will show no sense of remorse for hurting another person It may not mean that if a child or young person displays any of these indicators that they are a bully, but they are displaying and supporting behaviours and attitudes that impact on others in a negative way. It is important that each staff member and as those in the whole community challenge these behaviours and attitudes in a consistent way. 22