POLICY OWNER: Jill Gray POSITION: Deputy Principal VERSION: 6

Transcription

1 POLICY TITLE: Student Harassment & Bullying Plicy APPROVED BY: Gvernrs AUTHOR: Janet Hdgsn POLICY OWNER: Jill Gray POSITION: Deputy Principal VERSION: 6 LAST UP-DATED: Feb 2014 IMPACT ASSESSMENT DATE: Feb 2014 REVIEW DATE: Feb Intrductin Runshaw Cllege recgnises that many individuals and cmmunities experience unlawful and unfair discriminatin and disadvantage n the grunds f their race r ethnic rigin, disability, sex r gender identity, caring respnsibilities, sexual rientatin, religin r belief, age, ffending backgrund, sci-ecnmic grup, etc. We believe that equality fr all is a basic human right and actively ppse all frms f unlawful and unfair discriminatin. We value and celebrate the diversity in ur sciety and are striving t prmte and reflect that diversity within this Cllege. 1.2 The Cllege aims t maintain an envirnment that respects the dignity and rights f all students and where individuals have the pprtunity t realise their full ptential. 1.3 The Cllege will nt tlerate any frm f harassment r bullying. If a cmplaint is made it will be investigated prmptly and apprpriate actin taken. Where a student is fund t have cmmitted acts f bullying and/r harassment, it will be dealt with under the Student Disciplinary Prcedure, and culd result in expulsin. 2. Scpe 2.1 This plicy applies t all students. There is a separate plicy relating t the bullying and harassment f staff. 2.2 It applies t bullying and/r harassment at cllege and als at cllege related functins and events. 2.3 Under current legislatin, students can be held individually liable fr an act f harassment. Bullying Plicy Page 1

2 2.4 Other related plicies include: Bullying and Harassment Plicy (Staff) Care and Cntrl f Students Plicy Child & Vulnerable Adult Prtectin Plicy Cmplaints Plicy (Students) Cunselling Plicy (Students) Equality and Diversity Plicy Health, Safety and Wellbeing Plicy IT Access, Usage and E-Safety Plicy Student Disciplinary Plicy Regulatins fr the Cnduct f Students (UCLan) 3. Purpse The Cllege is cmmitted t maintaining a psitive, pen culture that enables individuals t flurish and in which inapprpriate behaviur in the frm f bullying and/r harassment is challenged and apprpriate actin taken. The purpse f having a plicy and understd prcedure is t: minimise the chance fr bullying and/r harassment ensure apprpriate and cnsistent actin is taken and supprt ffered where bullying and harassment is cncerned ensure that everyne in the Cllege takes respnsibility fr the preventin f bullying and/r harassment and the safeguarding f students. 4. Definitins 4.1 Harassment ccurs when an individual is subject t unwanted cnduct which has the purpse (intentinal) r effect (unintentinal) f: vilating an individual s dignity; r creating an intimidating, hstile, degrading, humiliating r ffensive envirnment fr that individual. 4.2 Harassment may be repetitive r an islated ccurrence against ne r mre individual. 4.3 Harassment is unlawful n the grunds f sex, gender reassignment, race, ethnic r natinal rigin, sexual rientatin, age, religin/belief, r fr a reasn relating t a persn s disability. Bullying Plicy Page 2

3 4.4 Bullying, althugh nt defined legally, is described as ffensive, intimidating, malicius r insulting behaviur, an abuse r misuse f pwer thrugh means intended t undermine, humiliate, denigrate r injure the recipient. 4.5 Harassment and bullying can range frm extremes such as physical vilence t less bvius frms like ignring smene. They can be delivered in a variety f ways, with r withut witnesses, and be persistent behaviur ver a perid f time r a ne ff act. The list belw gives examples f the type f behaviur that the Cllege cnsiders t be unacceptable, althugh it is nt exhaustive: Offensive sngs, remarks, jkes, s r letters Clthing with inapprpriate/ffensive wrding and/r images Display f ffensive psters, publicatins and graffiti Unwanted physical cntact r advances Offensive remarks abut a persn s race, sex, marital status, disability, religin r belief, sexual rientatin, gender identify r age Shuting, abusive r intimidating language Spreading malicius rumurs, allegatins r gssip Excluding, marginalising r ignring smene Failure t safeguard cnfidential infrmatin Intrusin by pestering, spying r stalking Cyber-bullying: that is, the sending r psting f harmful, cruel r ffensive text r images by , internet, lcal netwrking websites r ther digital cmmunicatin devices Respnsibilities Gvernrs are respnsible fr: (i) (ii) being aware f their legal respnsibilities in relatin t bullying and harassment and receiving and respnding t any key mnitring infrmatin cllated as part f the reviews f this plicy, ensuring that the Cllege meets its duties; 5.2 Managers are respnsible fr: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) Taking the lead in creating a psitive pen culture that challenges inapprpriate behaviur frm any individual Ensuring all members f the Cllege cmmunity understand that bullying and/r harassment will nt be tlerated Cnsulting staff and student representatives n the bullying/harassment agenda Ensuring all members f the Cllege cmmunity are made aware f the plicy Bullying Plicy Page 3

4 and prcedures. (v) (vi) (vii) (viii) (ix) Ensuring apprpriate training, develpment and guidance is prvided t supprt staff and students understanding f the Student Harassment and Bullying Plicy Ensuring there is a clear prcedure t fllw when harassment r bullying ccurs. Enabling/ encuraging the reprting f incidents bth in and ut f the classrm and n and ff cllege premises where it impacts n ur students (as detailed in the Educatin and Inspectin Act 2006). Ensuring that cmplaints are treated sensitively and seriusly and where apprpriate, as a disciplinary matter. Supprting the victims f harassment r bullying and taking actin and ffering supprt t the students undertaking the bullying and/r harassment, as well if this is apprpriate e.g. re-educatin. The prprtinality f any discipline taken will be cnsistent acrss cllege. Staff shuld refer t the Cllege Student Discipline Plicy and the UCLan Regulatins fr the Cnduct f Students 5.3 Staff are respnsible fr: (i) Engaging with the harassment and bullying agenda by familiarising themselves with the Student Harassment and Bullying Plicy, challenging inapprpriate behaviur and attending training (ii) Ensuring that their behaviur supprts a psitive envirnment free frm harassment and bullying by: prmting psitive behaviur acrss the Cllege cmmunity being practive in safeguarding staff and students wellbeing if a teaching member f staff, using additinal resurces prvided by the Heads f Studies as apprpriate in the classrm e.g. Respect Week materials, Bullying materials, etc. taking actin and recrding utcmes nt prmising cnfidentiality as in certain cases it may be necessary t invlve a third party e.g. parents, plice in all cases f students, the Head f Studies/teacher will infrm the schl. If bullying is reprted r made knwn they must: accept what is said listen carefully treat it seriusly ffer supprt recrd what is said establish hw lng the bullying has been ging n fr Bullying Plicy Page 4

5 reprt t the Heads f Studies wh will investigate the allegatins and take the necessary actin. This may be in the frm f disciplinary actin r ther apprpriate supprt, e.g. mediatin. If they witness bullying they must: (i) Intervene t stp it (ii) Make it clear t the bully that such behaviur is unacceptable and reprt the incident t the relevant Prgramme Office (iii) And then, either by themselves r by referring the student t their Persnal/Cntact Tutr tell the victim the Cllege will help and supprt them and reassure them that: it is nt their fault it is gd that it has cme t light (iv) With the student s cnsent, where this is pssible: take a written statement infrm their Persnal/Cntact Tutr and Head f Studies infrm ther relevant agencies e.g. parents / Student Services (v) Cmplete an incident reprt frm and frward t the relevant Prgramme Office. Heads f Studies may invke the disciplinary prcedures where apprpriate (vi) Cntinue t mnitr clsely dn t assume bullying has stpped. 5.4 Students Students are respnsible fr: (i) ensuring that their behaviur supprts a psitive envirnment free frm harassment and bullying (ii) reprting issues f bullying and/r harassment t a member f staff. 6. Supprt The Cllege recgnises the sensitive nature f harassment and bullying. Students wh believe they are being harassed r bullied can discuss their particular situatin with their Persnal/Cntact Tutr r anther member f staff. They can als discuss the situatin with the Cllege student cunsellrs, wh can be cntacted n ext r by at studentcunsellrs@runshaw.ac.uk 7. Review This plicy will be reviewed every three years by the Gvernrs r in line with legislative develpments and the need fr gd practice. Infrmatin such as the number f harassment/bullying cmplaints raised, student surveys, fcus grup feedback and cmments made in leavers interviews will infrm any review. Bullying Plicy Page 5

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