ANTI-BULLYING POLICY
Aims
With Girls in Sports our aim is to provide a safe, caring and friendly environment for all our young people to allow them to learn effectively, improve their life chances and help them maximize their potential.
We expect our young people to feel safe in school and understand the issues relating to their safety, including bullying. We want them to feel confident to seek support should they feel unsafe.
Girls in Sports is committed to tackling all forms of bullying through open and varied communication with young people, parents/careers and program managers, including frequent reminders that we will not tolerate any form of bullying.
The aim of this policy is to ensure that:
• We develop an anti-bullying culture where the bullying of adults, children or young people is not tolerated in any form.
• Appropriate action is taken to prevent and tackle all forms of bullying.
• Mentors and young people are aware of their responsibilities with respect to the prevention of bullying.
What is bullying?
Bullying is deliberate unkindness, or any action repeated over time that gives verbal, physical or mental hurt.
Bullying is often motivated by prejudice against particular groups e.g. on grounds of race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender, family circumstances, special needs or disability.
Forcing unwanted attention on someone else, particularly if in a sexual way, is also bullying. In very serious incidents, a single action can constitute bullying behaviour.
When the harmful activity is online (e.g. social media), a single action can have a repeated impact, so harmful and/or offensive behaviour online does not need to be repeated over time to constitute bullying.
Bullies usually intend harm to their victims, but an unintentionally harmful action can constitute
bullying if its effects are sufficiently severe, and/or if the action is contrary to common sense and/or if it would have been reasonable to predict that the action would be likely to cause harm/offence.
Bullying has serious consequences that can be physical, emotional or psychological. Some people who have been bullied have attempted suicide.
Bullying can take place between:
• young people
• young people and staff
• between staff
• individuals or groups
Certain groups of young people are known to be particularly vulnerable to bullying by others: these may include young people with special educational needs such as learning or physical disabilities; young carers, looked after children, those from ethnic and racial minority groups and those young people who may be perceived as lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender or questioning their gender role.
Bullying differs from teasing or falling out between friends and other types of aggressive behaviour because:
• There is a deliberate intention to hurt or humiliate.
• There is a power imbalance that makes it hard for the victim to defend themselves.
• It is usually persistent.
Bullying can include:
• name calling
• taunting
• mocking
• making offensive comments
• physical assault
• taking or damaging belongings
• cyber bullying - inappropriate text messaging and e-mailing; sending offensive or degrading images by phone or via the internet
• producing offensive graffiti
• gossiping and spreading hurtful and untruthful rumors
• excluding people from groups.
Occasionally an incident may be deemed to be bullying even if the behaviour has not been repeated or persistent if it fulfils all other descriptions of bullying. This possibility should be considered, particularly in cases of sexual, sexist, racist or homophobic bullying and when children with disabilities are involved.
Further detail on the definition of bullying can be found in Appendix 1 and information about the signs of bullying in Appendix 2.
Preventing bullying
Girls in Sports aims to prevent bullying by:
• Monitoring and reviewing our anti-bullying policy and practice on a regular basis.
• Supporting program leaders to promote positive relationships, to help prevent bullying.
• Recognising that some members of our community may be more vulnerable to bullying and its impact than others; being aware of this will help us to develop effective strategies to prevent bullying from happening and provide appropriate support, if required.
• Intervening by identifying and tackling bullying behaviour appropriately and promptly.
• Ensuring our young people are aware that bullying concerns will be dealt with sensitively and effectively;
• that everyone should feel safe to learn and abide by the anti-bullying policy.
• Requiring all members of the community to work with Girls in sports to uphold the anti-bullying policy. • Reporting back to parents/carers regarding concerns on bullying, dealing promptly with complaints.
• Seeking to learn from good anti-bullying practice elsewhere.
• Utilising support from the Local Authority and other relevant organisations when appropriate.
Reporting bullying
It is the duty of everyone who sees an instance of bullying or potential bullying to act to stop it. This duty applies to all young people, program managers and mentors.
Program leaders and young people are regularly reminded of the need to be vigilant for signs of bullying and of the requirement to report instances of bullying.
Young people should report bullying to any mentors or program leaders. This is true for bullying within the program, cyber-bullying and bullying outside of the program. The program leaders should then complete an incident form and inform the program director.
Responding to bullying
All reported incidents of bullying will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated.
The following steps may be taken when dealing with all incidents of bullying reported in the program:
• If bullying is suspected or reported, the incident will be dealt with immediately by a program leader who has been approached or witnessed the concern.
• We will provide appropriate support for the young person being bullied – making sure they are not at risk of immediate harm and will involve them in any decision-making, as appropriate.
• we will instigate an investigation, interviewing all parties involved.
• The Program director will be informed of all bullying issues where there are
• safeguarding concerns.
• We will inform other mentors, and parents/ carers, where appropriate.
• Sanctions (as identified within the Behaviour Policy) and support for the young person will be implemented, in consultation with all parties concerned.
• If necessary, other agencies may be consulted or involved, such as: the police (if a criminal offence has been committed) or other local services including early help or children’s social care (if a child is felt to be at risk of significant harm).
• Where the bullying takes place off site or outside of the program hours (including cyberbullying), we will ensure that the concern is fully investigated. Appropriate action will be taken, including providing support and implementing sanctions within the program in accordance with the programs behaviour Policy.
• A clear and precise account of the incident will be recorded, this will include recording appropriate details regarding decisions and action taken.
Supporting young people
Young people who have been bullied will be supported by:
• Reassuring the young person and providing continuous support.
• Offering an immediate opportunity to discuss the experience with a mentor.
• Being advised to keep a record of the bullying as evidence and discuss how to respond to concerns.
• Working towards restoring self-esteem, confidence and build resilience as appropriate.
• Providing ongoing support; this may include: working and speaking with program leaders, offering formal counselling, engaging with parents and carers.
• Where necessary, working with the wider community and local/national organisations to provide further or specialist advice and guidance; this could include support through Early Help or Specialist Children’s Services, or support through Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
Young people who have perpetrated the bullying will be helped by:
• Discussing what happened, establishing the concern and the need to change.
• Informing parents/carers to help change the attitude and behaviour of the child.
• Providing appropriate education and support regarding their behaviour or actions.
• If online, requesting that content be removed and reporting accounts/content to service provider.
• Sanctioning, in line with programs behaviour Policy; this may include official warnings, removal of privileges (including online access when encountering cyberbullying concerns), and fixed-term or permanent removal from the program
• Where necessary, working with the wider community and local/national organisations to provide further or specialist advice and guidance; this may include involvement from the Police or referrals to Early Help, Specialist Children’s Services, or Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) as appropriate.
In applying sanctions, consideration will be given to type and impact of bullying and the possibility that it was unintentional or was in retaliation. The specific circumstances of young people with additional needs, for example ADHD or Autism, will also be considered.
Supporting adults
Girls in Sports takes measures to prevent and tackle bullying among young people; however, it is equally important to recognise that bullying of program leaders and parents, whether by young people, parents or other program leaders, is unacceptable.
Adults (program leaders and parents) who have been bullied or affected will be supported by:
• Offering an immediate opportunity to discuss the concern with the program director
• Advising them to keep a record of the bullying as evidence and discuss how to respond to concerns and build resilience, as appropriate.
• Where the bullying takes place off site or outside of program hours (including online), we will still investigate the concern and ensure that appropriate action is taken in accordance with the programs behaviour Policy.
• Reporting offensive or upsetting content and/or accounts to the service provider, where the bullying has occurred online.
• Reassuring and offering appropriate support.
• Working with the wider community and local/national organisations to provide further or specialist
• advice and guidance.
Adults (program leaders and parents) who have perpetrated the bullying will be helped by:
• Discussing what happened with a program manager or program director to establish the concern.
• Establishing whether a legitimate grievance or concern has been raised and signposted to the program’s official complaints procedures.
• If online, requesting that content be removed.
• Instigating disciplinary, civil or legal action as appropriate or required.
• Specific guidance is available for program directors regarding dealing with complaints made on social networking sites by parents/carers on http://www.kelsi.org.uk/child-protection-andsafeguarding/e-safety
Roles and Responsibilities
It is the responsibility of:
• Girls in Sports to communicate this policy to the programs managers, to ensure that disciplinary measures are applied fairly, consistently and reasonably, and that a member of the programs directors has been identified to take overall responsibility.
• The programs advisory board to take a lead role in monitoring and reviewing this policy.
• All program leaders to support, uphold and implement this policy accordingly.
• Parents/carers to support their children and work in partnership with the program.
• Young people to abide by the policy.
References and links with other policies
This policy is based on DfE guidance “Preventing and Tackling Bullying” July 2017 and supporting documents. It also considers the DfE statutory guidance “Keeping Children Safe in Education” 2016.
This policy summarises Girls in Sports approach to bullying and should be read in conjunction with the following policies:
• Safeguarding policy
• Anti-cyberbullying policy – check name
• Behaviour policy
• Equal opportunities and race equality policy
• Complaints procedure
Appendix 3 provides a list useful links and details of supporting organisations.
The policy will be reviewed and updated annually.
Appendix 1- Bullying definitions
Bullying may:
• Be physical (e.g. hitting, kicking, spitting)
• Be verbal (e.g. teasing, spreading rumors)
• Be indirect (e.g. excluding someone by not talking to them or leaving
• them out of a group)
• Be manipulative (e.g. getting someone else to tease or hit someone)
• Involve complicity in someone else’s action (e.g. as a bystander who looks
• the other way)
• Take place in cyberspace, on social network sites, or by sending
• text/voicemail messages.
Bullying is often hidden. It may involve actions or comments that are racist, sexist, homophobic, or which focus on disabilities. It can focus on someone’s gender, religion or culture, make fun of someone because they have special educational needs, or because someone’s family circumstances appear unusual, for example they have a carer. It can happen anywhere and at any time.
Physical bullying may involve:
• Hitting or kicking someone
• Jostling, bumping, pushing someone
• Spitting at someone
• Invading someone’s body space
• Physically humiliating someone (e.g. by de-bagging them)
• Firing darts or pellets at someone
• Taking, damaging or hiding someone’s property
• Invading someone’s work space or locker.
If physical bullying involves assault, actual bodily harm or wounding it is a criminal offence.
Verbal bullying may involve:
• Spoken comments
• Written notes
• Emails or text messages
• Improper use of Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and similar social media
• Phone calls
• The defacing of notices
• Name-calling, spreading rumors, publicly blaming someone for
• something they haven’t done circulating unflattering drawings or photographic images of someone.
Indirect or manipulative bullying may involve:
• Ostracising a fellow young person by refusing to sit alongside him/her (or by moving away when he/she comes and sits down)
• The manipulation of social networks to exclude, marginalise or intimidate individuals
• Publishing photographs or images of someone that are intended to invite mockery or gossip
• Encouraging others to become the agents of physical or verbal bullying against one’s intended victim.
• Bullying characterised by racism, sexism, homophobia and the exploitation of disability may involve:
• Spoken comments, phone calls, electronic messages or written notes about someone (their friends or a member of their family), or about some group of young people
• Emails, web postings or text messages about someone (their friends or a member of their family), or about some group of students
• The defacing of notices with snide remarks about someone (their friends or a member of their family), or about some group of young people
Sexual bullying may involve:
• Bullying that seeks to hurt people by drawing attention to their body shape, hair colour, manner of dress, alleged sexual attractiveness (or lack of it), close friendships (or the absence of intimate relationships in an individual’s life)
• Physical action of a sexually intimidating nature (by the invasion of body space, inappropriate touching)
• Spreading rumors about an individual’s lifestyle (or the lifestyle of a close friend or relative)
• Spoken comments, written notes, emails, web postings, text messages, phone calls about someone (their friends or a member of their family), or about some group of young people.
Bullying focused on religion, culture or family background may involve: Spoken comments, written notes, emails, web postings or text messages that highlight an individual’s religion or culture with the purpose of mocking them for cultural or religious difference Pejorative religious or cultural descriptors (e.g. Muslim terrorist, Pakki shopkeepers) Gossip about an individual’s family circumstances, spreading stories about (for example) his/her being adopted, a parent in a same-sex relationship, a relation in the news for negative reasons.
Electronic or cyber-bullying may involve:
• Sending abusive, insulting or malicious text messages or emails
• Posting abusive or malicious messages on websites, using blogs, online or
• personal polling sites, etc.
• Posting on a social network site facts or photographs/images of someone with the intention to embarrass or belittle them in the eyes of others
• Indulging in malicious or spiteful conversations in chat rooms
• Spreading abuse, malice or scurrilous gossip by other electronic means
• Hacking into social networking sites and removing personal material
• Filming fights or assaults (e.g. happy slapping clips) using mobile phone networks or other networks
• Making repeated silent calls to a mobile phone or leaving abusive messages on voicemail
• Fraping (using a pseudonym or someone else’s telephone or email account) for anonymity when indulging in bullying.
Young people may attempt to justify much of this type of behaviour as a practical joke rather than as bullying. This misconception of such activity is not acceptable. In circumstances where bullying actions involve hacking into the computer of another person or some other action by which the bully adopts a different identity online, that act of deception will be judged to compound the significance of the bullying activity. Similarly, online bullying activity that is done anonymously will be judged with greater severity.
Sexting is the term given to the practice of sharing sexually explicit images or text. It is commonplace.
39% of 13-18-year olds do it. 15% of 13-18-year olds think it is OK to do it. Circumstances in which young people might sext one another vary. Where individuals within education under 18 years of age are involved this practice is always illegal.
Young people must also understand that:
• Sending someone your sexualised image, when you are under 18, is bullying – it is an action with threatening character because the recipient could face severe legal consequences and it causes anxiety • Passing on a sexualised image of any person under 18 is bullying – it is an action that threatens the recipient and one that demeans the person pictured. It is a cause of anxiety
• Sending a sexualised image to try and initiate a romantic relationship is bullying – it is threatening, offensive action. It causes anxiety.
The consequences of sexting can be serious for the perpetrator. It is illegal in the UK to publish or download a sexual image of someone under 18 even when it is the child (him/herself) who created and posted the material online.
Child protection
Bullying that is so extreme that a child suffers or is likely to suffer significant harm is a Child protection concern and will reported as such.
Appendix 2: Signs of bullying
A young person may indicate by signs or behaviour that he/she is being bullied. Parents and program leaders should be aware of these possible signs and they should investigate if a child:
• Is unwilling to attend the program
• Becomes withdrawn or anxious as a weekend or holiday draws to a close
• Expresses anxiety about his/her appearance (hair colour, body shape, clothing etc)
• Changes established habits (e.g. giving up music lessons or support of a local football team, changing their accent or vocabulary)
• Has possessions which go missing or returns home with clothes or books damaged
• Asks for significant increases in pocket money he/she is given
• Begins to do poorly in education
• Becomes aggressive, disruptive or unreasonable
• Becomes excessively eager to please
• Is bullying siblings or other young people
• Exhibits diminishing levels of self-confidence
• Chooses the company of adults in preference to that of young people
• Displays repressed body language and poor eye-contact
• Begins stammering or truanting
• Shows reduced interest in personal hygiene or grooming
• Complains of headaches or stomach cramps
• Has unexplained cuts or bruises
• Has difficulty sleeping or experiences nightmares
• Runs away or talks of suicide.
Appendix 3: Useful links and supporting organisations
• Anti-Bullying Alliance: http://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk
• Childline: http://www.childline.org.uk Family Lives: www.familylives.org.uk
• Kidscape: http://www.kidscape.org.uk
• MindEd: http://www.minded.org.uk
• NSPCC: http://www.nspcc.org.uk
• The BIG Award: http://www.bullyinginterventiongroup.co.uk/index.php
• PSHE Association: http://www.pshe-association.org.uk
• Restorative Justice Council: http://www.restorativejustice.org.uk
• Victim Support: http://www.victimsupport.org.uk
• Young Minds: http://www.youngminds.org.uk
• Young Carers: http://www.youngcarers.net
SEND
• Changing Faces: http://www.changingfaces.org.uk
• Mencap: http://www.mencap.org.uk
• Anti-Bullying Alliance Cyberbullying and children and young people with SEN and disabilities: http://www.cafamily.org.uk/media/750755/cyberbullying_and_send_-_module_final.pdf
DfE: SEND code of practice: http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to25
Cyberbullying
• Childnet International: http://www.childnet.com
• Digizen: http://www.digizen.org
• Internet Watch Foundation: http://www.iwf.org.uk
• Think U Know: http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk
• UK Safer Internet Centre: http://www.saferinternet.org.uk
UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) http://www.gov.uk/government/groups/uk-council- forchild-internet-safety-ukccis
Race, religion and nationality
• Anne Frank Trust: http://www.annefrank.org.uk
• Kick it Out: http://www.kickitout.org
• Report it: http://www.report-it.org.uk
• Stop Hate: http://www.stophateuk.org
• Tell Mama: http://www.tellmamauk.org
• Educate against Hate: http://www.educateagainsthate.com/
• Show Racism the Red Card: http://www.srtrc.org/educational
LGBT
• Barnardos LGBT Hub: http://www.barnardos.org.uk/what_we_do/our_work/lgbtq.htm
• Metro Charity: http://www.metrocentreonline.org
• EACH: http://www.eachaction.org.uk
• Proud Trust: http://www.theproudtrust.org
• Schools Out: www.schools-out.org.uk
• Stonewall: www.stonewall.org.uk
Sexual harassment and sexual bullying
• Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAW) http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk
• A Guide for Schools: http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/data/files/resources/71/EVAWCoalition-SchoolsGuide.pdf
• Disrespect No Body: http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disrespect-nobody-campaignposters
Anti-bullying Alliance: advice for school staff and professionals about developing effective anti- bullying practice in relation to sexual bullying: http://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/toolsinformation/all- aboutbullying/sexual-and-gender-related
Additional links
‘Preventing and Tackling Bullying’ (July 2017) http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventingand- tackling-bullying
Aims
With Girls in Sports our aim is to provide a safe, caring and friendly environment for all our young people to allow them to learn effectively, improve their life chances and help them maximize their potential.
We expect our young people to feel safe in school and understand the issues relating to their safety, including bullying. We want them to feel confident to seek support should they feel unsafe.
Girls in Sports is committed to tackling all forms of bullying through open and varied communication with young people, parents/careers and program managers, including frequent reminders that we will not tolerate any form of bullying.
The aim of this policy is to ensure that:
• We develop an anti-bullying culture where the bullying of adults, children or young people is not tolerated in any form.
• Appropriate action is taken to prevent and tackle all forms of bullying.
• Mentors and young people are aware of their responsibilities with respect to the prevention of bullying.
What is bullying?
Bullying is deliberate unkindness, or any action repeated over time that gives verbal, physical or mental hurt.
Bullying is often motivated by prejudice against particular groups e.g. on grounds of race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender, family circumstances, special needs or disability.
Forcing unwanted attention on someone else, particularly if in a sexual way, is also bullying. In very serious incidents, a single action can constitute bullying behaviour.
When the harmful activity is online (e.g. social media), a single action can have a repeated impact, so harmful and/or offensive behaviour online does not need to be repeated over time to constitute bullying.
Bullies usually intend harm to their victims, but an unintentionally harmful action can constitute
bullying if its effects are sufficiently severe, and/or if the action is contrary to common sense and/or if it would have been reasonable to predict that the action would be likely to cause harm/offence.
Bullying has serious consequences that can be physical, emotional or psychological. Some people who have been bullied have attempted suicide.
Bullying can take place between:
• young people
• young people and staff
• between staff
• individuals or groups
Certain groups of young people are known to be particularly vulnerable to bullying by others: these may include young people with special educational needs such as learning or physical disabilities; young carers, looked after children, those from ethnic and racial minority groups and those young people who may be perceived as lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender or questioning their gender role.
Bullying differs from teasing or falling out between friends and other types of aggressive behaviour because:
• There is a deliberate intention to hurt or humiliate.
• There is a power imbalance that makes it hard for the victim to defend themselves.
• It is usually persistent.
Bullying can include:
• name calling
• taunting
• mocking
• making offensive comments
• physical assault
• taking or damaging belongings
• cyber bullying - inappropriate text messaging and e-mailing; sending offensive or degrading images by phone or via the internet
• producing offensive graffiti
• gossiping and spreading hurtful and untruthful rumors
• excluding people from groups.
Occasionally an incident may be deemed to be bullying even if the behaviour has not been repeated or persistent if it fulfils all other descriptions of bullying. This possibility should be considered, particularly in cases of sexual, sexist, racist or homophobic bullying and when children with disabilities are involved.
Further detail on the definition of bullying can be found in Appendix 1 and information about the signs of bullying in Appendix 2.
Preventing bullying
Girls in Sports aims to prevent bullying by:
• Monitoring and reviewing our anti-bullying policy and practice on a regular basis.
• Supporting program leaders to promote positive relationships, to help prevent bullying.
• Recognising that some members of our community may be more vulnerable to bullying and its impact than others; being aware of this will help us to develop effective strategies to prevent bullying from happening and provide appropriate support, if required.
• Intervening by identifying and tackling bullying behaviour appropriately and promptly.
• Ensuring our young people are aware that bullying concerns will be dealt with sensitively and effectively;
• that everyone should feel safe to learn and abide by the anti-bullying policy.
• Requiring all members of the community to work with Girls in sports to uphold the anti-bullying policy. • Reporting back to parents/carers regarding concerns on bullying, dealing promptly with complaints.
• Seeking to learn from good anti-bullying practice elsewhere.
• Utilising support from the Local Authority and other relevant organisations when appropriate.
Reporting bullying
It is the duty of everyone who sees an instance of bullying or potential bullying to act to stop it. This duty applies to all young people, program managers and mentors.
Program leaders and young people are regularly reminded of the need to be vigilant for signs of bullying and of the requirement to report instances of bullying.
Young people should report bullying to any mentors or program leaders. This is true for bullying within the program, cyber-bullying and bullying outside of the program. The program leaders should then complete an incident form and inform the program director.
Responding to bullying
All reported incidents of bullying will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated.
The following steps may be taken when dealing with all incidents of bullying reported in the program:
• If bullying is suspected or reported, the incident will be dealt with immediately by a program leader who has been approached or witnessed the concern.
• We will provide appropriate support for the young person being bullied – making sure they are not at risk of immediate harm and will involve them in any decision-making, as appropriate.
• we will instigate an investigation, interviewing all parties involved.
• The Program director will be informed of all bullying issues where there are
• safeguarding concerns.
• We will inform other mentors, and parents/ carers, where appropriate.
• Sanctions (as identified within the Behaviour Policy) and support for the young person will be implemented, in consultation with all parties concerned.
• If necessary, other agencies may be consulted or involved, such as: the police (if a criminal offence has been committed) or other local services including early help or children’s social care (if a child is felt to be at risk of significant harm).
• Where the bullying takes place off site or outside of the program hours (including cyberbullying), we will ensure that the concern is fully investigated. Appropriate action will be taken, including providing support and implementing sanctions within the program in accordance with the programs behaviour Policy.
• A clear and precise account of the incident will be recorded, this will include recording appropriate details regarding decisions and action taken.
Supporting young people
Young people who have been bullied will be supported by:
• Reassuring the young person and providing continuous support.
• Offering an immediate opportunity to discuss the experience with a mentor.
• Being advised to keep a record of the bullying as evidence and discuss how to respond to concerns.
• Working towards restoring self-esteem, confidence and build resilience as appropriate.
• Providing ongoing support; this may include: working and speaking with program leaders, offering formal counselling, engaging with parents and carers.
• Where necessary, working with the wider community and local/national organisations to provide further or specialist advice and guidance; this could include support through Early Help or Specialist Children’s Services, or support through Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
Young people who have perpetrated the bullying will be helped by:
• Discussing what happened, establishing the concern and the need to change.
• Informing parents/carers to help change the attitude and behaviour of the child.
• Providing appropriate education and support regarding their behaviour or actions.
• If online, requesting that content be removed and reporting accounts/content to service provider.
• Sanctioning, in line with programs behaviour Policy; this may include official warnings, removal of privileges (including online access when encountering cyberbullying concerns), and fixed-term or permanent removal from the program
• Where necessary, working with the wider community and local/national organisations to provide further or specialist advice and guidance; this may include involvement from the Police or referrals to Early Help, Specialist Children’s Services, or Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) as appropriate.
In applying sanctions, consideration will be given to type and impact of bullying and the possibility that it was unintentional or was in retaliation. The specific circumstances of young people with additional needs, for example ADHD or Autism, will also be considered.
Supporting adults
Girls in Sports takes measures to prevent and tackle bullying among young people; however, it is equally important to recognise that bullying of program leaders and parents, whether by young people, parents or other program leaders, is unacceptable.
Adults (program leaders and parents) who have been bullied or affected will be supported by:
• Offering an immediate opportunity to discuss the concern with the program director
• Advising them to keep a record of the bullying as evidence and discuss how to respond to concerns and build resilience, as appropriate.
• Where the bullying takes place off site or outside of program hours (including online), we will still investigate the concern and ensure that appropriate action is taken in accordance with the programs behaviour Policy.
• Reporting offensive or upsetting content and/or accounts to the service provider, where the bullying has occurred online.
• Reassuring and offering appropriate support.
• Working with the wider community and local/national organisations to provide further or specialist
• advice and guidance.
Adults (program leaders and parents) who have perpetrated the bullying will be helped by:
• Discussing what happened with a program manager or program director to establish the concern.
• Establishing whether a legitimate grievance or concern has been raised and signposted to the program’s official complaints procedures.
• If online, requesting that content be removed.
• Instigating disciplinary, civil or legal action as appropriate or required.
• Specific guidance is available for program directors regarding dealing with complaints made on social networking sites by parents/carers on http://www.kelsi.org.uk/child-protection-andsafeguarding/e-safety
Roles and Responsibilities
It is the responsibility of:
• Girls in Sports to communicate this policy to the programs managers, to ensure that disciplinary measures are applied fairly, consistently and reasonably, and that a member of the programs directors has been identified to take overall responsibility.
• The programs advisory board to take a lead role in monitoring and reviewing this policy.
• All program leaders to support, uphold and implement this policy accordingly.
• Parents/carers to support their children and work in partnership with the program.
• Young people to abide by the policy.
References and links with other policies
This policy is based on DfE guidance “Preventing and Tackling Bullying” July 2017 and supporting documents. It also considers the DfE statutory guidance “Keeping Children Safe in Education” 2016.
This policy summarises Girls in Sports approach to bullying and should be read in conjunction with the following policies:
• Safeguarding policy
• Anti-cyberbullying policy – check name
• Behaviour policy
• Equal opportunities and race equality policy
• Complaints procedure
Appendix 3 provides a list useful links and details of supporting organisations.
The policy will be reviewed and updated annually.
Appendix 1- Bullying definitions
Bullying may:
• Be physical (e.g. hitting, kicking, spitting)
• Be verbal (e.g. teasing, spreading rumors)
• Be indirect (e.g. excluding someone by not talking to them or leaving
• them out of a group)
• Be manipulative (e.g. getting someone else to tease or hit someone)
• Involve complicity in someone else’s action (e.g. as a bystander who looks
• the other way)
• Take place in cyberspace, on social network sites, or by sending
• text/voicemail messages.
Bullying is often hidden. It may involve actions or comments that are racist, sexist, homophobic, or which focus on disabilities. It can focus on someone’s gender, religion or culture, make fun of someone because they have special educational needs, or because someone’s family circumstances appear unusual, for example they have a carer. It can happen anywhere and at any time.
Physical bullying may involve:
• Hitting or kicking someone
• Jostling, bumping, pushing someone
• Spitting at someone
• Invading someone’s body space
• Physically humiliating someone (e.g. by de-bagging them)
• Firing darts or pellets at someone
• Taking, damaging or hiding someone’s property
• Invading someone’s work space or locker.
If physical bullying involves assault, actual bodily harm or wounding it is a criminal offence.
Verbal bullying may involve:
• Spoken comments
• Written notes
• Emails or text messages
• Improper use of Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and similar social media
• Phone calls
• The defacing of notices
• Name-calling, spreading rumors, publicly blaming someone for
• something they haven’t done circulating unflattering drawings or photographic images of someone.
Indirect or manipulative bullying may involve:
• Ostracising a fellow young person by refusing to sit alongside him/her (or by moving away when he/she comes and sits down)
• The manipulation of social networks to exclude, marginalise or intimidate individuals
• Publishing photographs or images of someone that are intended to invite mockery or gossip
• Encouraging others to become the agents of physical or verbal bullying against one’s intended victim.
• Bullying characterised by racism, sexism, homophobia and the exploitation of disability may involve:
• Spoken comments, phone calls, electronic messages or written notes about someone (their friends or a member of their family), or about some group of young people
• Emails, web postings or text messages about someone (their friends or a member of their family), or about some group of students
• The defacing of notices with snide remarks about someone (their friends or a member of their family), or about some group of young people
Sexual bullying may involve:
• Bullying that seeks to hurt people by drawing attention to their body shape, hair colour, manner of dress, alleged sexual attractiveness (or lack of it), close friendships (or the absence of intimate relationships in an individual’s life)
• Physical action of a sexually intimidating nature (by the invasion of body space, inappropriate touching)
• Spreading rumors about an individual’s lifestyle (or the lifestyle of a close friend or relative)
• Spoken comments, written notes, emails, web postings, text messages, phone calls about someone (their friends or a member of their family), or about some group of young people.
Bullying focused on religion, culture or family background may involve: Spoken comments, written notes, emails, web postings or text messages that highlight an individual’s religion or culture with the purpose of mocking them for cultural or religious difference Pejorative religious or cultural descriptors (e.g. Muslim terrorist, Pakki shopkeepers) Gossip about an individual’s family circumstances, spreading stories about (for example) his/her being adopted, a parent in a same-sex relationship, a relation in the news for negative reasons.
Electronic or cyber-bullying may involve:
• Sending abusive, insulting or malicious text messages or emails
• Posting abusive or malicious messages on websites, using blogs, online or
• personal polling sites, etc.
• Posting on a social network site facts or photographs/images of someone with the intention to embarrass or belittle them in the eyes of others
• Indulging in malicious or spiteful conversations in chat rooms
• Spreading abuse, malice or scurrilous gossip by other electronic means
• Hacking into social networking sites and removing personal material
• Filming fights or assaults (e.g. happy slapping clips) using mobile phone networks or other networks
• Making repeated silent calls to a mobile phone or leaving abusive messages on voicemail
• Fraping (using a pseudonym or someone else’s telephone or email account) for anonymity when indulging in bullying.
Young people may attempt to justify much of this type of behaviour as a practical joke rather than as bullying. This misconception of such activity is not acceptable. In circumstances where bullying actions involve hacking into the computer of another person or some other action by which the bully adopts a different identity online, that act of deception will be judged to compound the significance of the bullying activity. Similarly, online bullying activity that is done anonymously will be judged with greater severity.
Sexting is the term given to the practice of sharing sexually explicit images or text. It is commonplace.
39% of 13-18-year olds do it. 15% of 13-18-year olds think it is OK to do it. Circumstances in which young people might sext one another vary. Where individuals within education under 18 years of age are involved this practice is always illegal.
Young people must also understand that:
• Sending someone your sexualised image, when you are under 18, is bullying – it is an action with threatening character because the recipient could face severe legal consequences and it causes anxiety • Passing on a sexualised image of any person under 18 is bullying – it is an action that threatens the recipient and one that demeans the person pictured. It is a cause of anxiety
• Sending a sexualised image to try and initiate a romantic relationship is bullying – it is threatening, offensive action. It causes anxiety.
The consequences of sexting can be serious for the perpetrator. It is illegal in the UK to publish or download a sexual image of someone under 18 even when it is the child (him/herself) who created and posted the material online.
Child protection
Bullying that is so extreme that a child suffers or is likely to suffer significant harm is a Child protection concern and will reported as such.
Appendix 2: Signs of bullying
A young person may indicate by signs or behaviour that he/she is being bullied. Parents and program leaders should be aware of these possible signs and they should investigate if a child:
• Is unwilling to attend the program
• Becomes withdrawn or anxious as a weekend or holiday draws to a close
• Expresses anxiety about his/her appearance (hair colour, body shape, clothing etc)
• Changes established habits (e.g. giving up music lessons or support of a local football team, changing their accent or vocabulary)
• Has possessions which go missing or returns home with clothes or books damaged
• Asks for significant increases in pocket money he/she is given
• Begins to do poorly in education
• Becomes aggressive, disruptive or unreasonable
• Becomes excessively eager to please
• Is bullying siblings or other young people
• Exhibits diminishing levels of self-confidence
• Chooses the company of adults in preference to that of young people
• Displays repressed body language and poor eye-contact
• Begins stammering or truanting
• Shows reduced interest in personal hygiene or grooming
• Complains of headaches or stomach cramps
• Has unexplained cuts or bruises
• Has difficulty sleeping or experiences nightmares
• Runs away or talks of suicide.
Appendix 3: Useful links and supporting organisations
• Anti-Bullying Alliance: http://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk
• Childline: http://www.childline.org.uk Family Lives: www.familylives.org.uk
• Kidscape: http://www.kidscape.org.uk
• MindEd: http://www.minded.org.uk
• NSPCC: http://www.nspcc.org.uk
• The BIG Award: http://www.bullyinginterventiongroup.co.uk/index.php
• PSHE Association: http://www.pshe-association.org.uk
• Restorative Justice Council: http://www.restorativejustice.org.uk
• Victim Support: http://www.victimsupport.org.uk
• Young Minds: http://www.youngminds.org.uk
• Young Carers: http://www.youngcarers.net
SEND
• Changing Faces: http://www.changingfaces.org.uk
• Mencap: http://www.mencap.org.uk
• Anti-Bullying Alliance Cyberbullying and children and young people with SEN and disabilities: http://www.cafamily.org.uk/media/750755/cyberbullying_and_send_-_module_final.pdf
DfE: SEND code of practice: http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to25
Cyberbullying
• Childnet International: http://www.childnet.com
• Digizen: http://www.digizen.org
• Internet Watch Foundation: http://www.iwf.org.uk
• Think U Know: http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk
• UK Safer Internet Centre: http://www.saferinternet.org.uk
UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) http://www.gov.uk/government/groups/uk-council- forchild-internet-safety-ukccis
Race, religion and nationality
• Anne Frank Trust: http://www.annefrank.org.uk
• Kick it Out: http://www.kickitout.org
• Report it: http://www.report-it.org.uk
• Stop Hate: http://www.stophateuk.org
• Tell Mama: http://www.tellmamauk.org
• Educate against Hate: http://www.educateagainsthate.com/
• Show Racism the Red Card: http://www.srtrc.org/educational
LGBT
• Barnardos LGBT Hub: http://www.barnardos.org.uk/what_we_do/our_work/lgbtq.htm
• Metro Charity: http://www.metrocentreonline.org
• EACH: http://www.eachaction.org.uk
• Proud Trust: http://www.theproudtrust.org
• Schools Out: www.schools-out.org.uk
• Stonewall: www.stonewall.org.uk
Sexual harassment and sexual bullying
• Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAW) http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk
• A Guide for Schools: http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/data/files/resources/71/EVAWCoalition-SchoolsGuide.pdf
• Disrespect No Body: http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disrespect-nobody-campaignposters
Anti-bullying Alliance: advice for school staff and professionals about developing effective anti- bullying practice in relation to sexual bullying: http://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/toolsinformation/all- aboutbullying/sexual-and-gender-related
Additional links
‘Preventing and Tackling Bullying’ (July 2017) http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventingand- tackling-bullying