Wavell State High School does not tolerate bullying in any form.
Reasons for the Policy:
Everyone has a right to feel safe at school. When students are being bullied, nobody can feel safe. Bullying cannot be allowed in a school which wants everyone to be safe and happy.
What is Bullying?
Bullying involves an imbalance of power where a physically, mentally and/or emotionally stronger person exerts a form of control over another person. It can be a one off event but is often an ongoing sequence of intimidation, threats and harassment. This is the behaviour that can cause long term emotional and psychological damage and is never tolerated at school.
Bullying can be:
Physical: for example hitting, pushing, tripping, spitting on, throwing things at or interfering with another’s property by stealing, hiding or damaging it.
Verbal: for example calling people names, threatening, teasing, spreading rumours, making fun of others achievements, saying rude things about another’s race, colour, religion etc., writing offensive notes, graffiti, nasty text messages or inappropriate internet communications.
Exclusion: deliberately leaving people out of a group to make them feel bad.
Gesture: making rude or threatening signs to someone.
Extortion: Threatening someone so they will give you something or will do something for you.
What happens if there is Bullying?
A student who is bullied can become stressed and angry, finds it hard to concentrate at school and may truant because they are so unhappy.
Bullies can become aggressive and get into trouble both in and out of school.
Students who watch others being bullied can be upset when they see them hurt and embarrassed. They may also worry that they may be bullied themselves at any time.
What should students do if there is Bullying?
Report bullying to your Form teacher. You may also report this to another teacher, a Coordinator, the Guidance Office or Deputy Principal.
Contact the school to make an appointment if appropriate.
You will be required to make a confidential statement to enable the incident to be investigated.
Support will be offered to all students involved.
Appropriate action will be taken by the school based on the investigation and the School’s Behaviour Management Policy.
Caregivers/ parents will be notified of issues involving their student.
Mediation between students may be offered, if all parties are in agreement.
The situation will be monitored.
Further instances of bullying, after school based intervention, must be reported.
What about Cyber Bullying?
Due to our strict policies on mobile phone usage, cameras and our Information and Communication Technologies Agreement, most instances of cyber bullying reported have occurred at home, after school hours. Cyber bullying becomes a school issue when the act is completed during school or if the bullying behaviour becomes an issue at school.
What should students do if they are a victim of Cyber Bullying?
Don’t respond.
Block the other person.
Print off the conversation.
Tell someone (parents or even police).
Report your problem to school if you are experiencing bullying in class, in the playground, or on your way to and from school.
Bullying is not good for anyone.
What students should do to prevent Bullying?
Always respect the rights of others including the right to be different.
Refuse to become involved in any bullying.
If you are present when any bullying happens:
if it is safe, try to stop it
report the bullying to a teacher so that something can be done about it.
If you are bullied do not strike out, yell at the bully or call him/her names.
Reporting bullying is not “dobbing” or “telling tales”. We all need to tell about bullying so that it is no longer secret and Wavell State High School can become safe for everyone.