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Anti Bullying
We pride ourselves on the welcoming and friendly environment that our school provides.
Everyone has the right to come to school and enjoy their community while feeling welcome, safe, secure and happy – this means without fear or the reality of being bullied.
Bullying is ‘deliberately hurtful behaviour, repeated over a period of time’ (current school Anti-Bullying Policy) or ‘the intentional hurting of one person to another’ (Anti-Bullying Alliance).
Bullying can take a number of forms:
- Physical – kicking, hitting, pushing, taking and damaging belongings etc
- Verbal – name calling, taunting, mocking, making nasty comments, making threats
- Emotional – leaving people out/deliberately ignoring them (social exclusion), gossiping and spreading rumours
- Cyber-bullying - bullying using text messages/phone calls, pictures/video clips on phones or posted online (including ‘happy slapping’), misusing instant messenger, email, chat rooms, websites/blogs and social networking sites eg Facebook and WhatsApp.
No form of bullying or retaliation is acceptable at Kingswinford Academy.
We work hard to address all reports of bullying, but if it is happening to you, or you know that a friend is having problems then it is important that you say something to someone.
For more information on how bullying is dealt with in school then please see the school’s Anti-bullying Policy which can be downloaded below.
We also provide a range of anti-bullying awareness and prevention activities over the course of the school year.
Who can you speak to about bullying?
There are a number of ways that you can seek help. You could start with a trusted friend or other responsible students, such as a Prefect or one of our trained Anti-Bullying Ambassadors, who may be able to help you or speak to a member of staff on your behalf.
Your Form Tutor should always be your first point of contact in school, but if you do not feel comfortable in speaking to your Form Tutor, for whatever reason, then you can speak to any adult in school. They will then help you to decide the best course of action. If you confide in a parent/carer or another relative then they can contact your Form Tutor for advice.
There are also a number of websites that you can visit for advice or information:
REMEMBER: ‘STOP STOP’
If you are unsure if bullying is occurring then remember the acronym ‘STOP STOP’ which stands for ‘Several times on purpose? Start telling other people!’
In other words, if something unpleasant happens that is more than once and you feel that it is deliberate, then it may be bullying.
You should speak to someone that you trust – at school or at home, who could help you.
What students can do about bullying
If you are a victim:
- Tell someone you trust - a problem becomes smaller if it is shared
- Walk away if you can. It’s hard to bully someone who won’t stand still
- Stay with a crowd or with your friends - try not to be on your own at times you don’t feel safe
- Arrange to walk home with someone
- Know and avoid the danger areas
- Keep a record of what is happening
- Keep any evidence you have, for example, notes or malicious emails or texts
- Don’t respond to the bully
- If you have had problems online then you could use the ‘report abuse’ button if one is available
- Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help - we all need help sometimes
- Ask your parents or carers to contact the school to get some support
- Remember, if you are a victim it is not your fault.
Other important advice:
- Try to support other victims of bullying – comfort them and offer your help. Befriend them and
- encourage them to tell someone
- Report any bullying that you see or hear of
- Remember online safety advice to ensure that you stay safe in cyberspace
- Don’t join in with a bully or encourage them in any way
- Seek help rather than standing up to a bully yourself
- Know the school’s Anti-Bullying Policy – this explains how bullying will be dealt with.
Kingswinford Academy Student Pledge
Each student has to sign our student pledge. This encourages students to treat each other with respect, politeness and kindness at all times and take a stance against bullying. The pledge is:
I recognise that bullying is not acceptable in any aspect of life. I understand that if I am being bullied that I should seek help and if I am exhibiting bullying behaviours then I could be punished for this behaviour according to school policy. As a student at Kingswinford Academy I pledge to treat and speak to others with respect, politeness and kindness at all times. If I witness bullying I will not be a bystander and I will seek to support the victim and report the behaviour.