For Professionals

What is Bullying?

Relational Conflict

Recognising Signs of Bullying

Preventing Bullying

Challenging Bullying

If Bullying is Reported

How We Can Help

What is bullying?

Although each individuals experience of bullying is different, it is important to clarify what bullying is, and how it differs from other forms of abuse or anti-social behaviour. At BulliesOut, we define bullying as the wilful, conscious desire to hurt, control, threaten or frighten someone. It is when someone or several people, repeatedly over a period of time, do or say unpleasant things to another person or group of people, or keep teasing them in an unwanted way.

Bullying generally takes on one of three forms:

Physical, Verbal, Indirect.

Types of bullying behaviours include:

Physical:

hitting, kicking, punching, slapping and other forms of violence. It also includes destroying personal belongings.

Verbal:

name-calling, teasing, taunts, threatening language, nasty comments, offensive and/or sexual remarks

Indirect:

cyber-bullying, dirty looks, excluding from groups, graffiti, malicious gossip, starting or spreading rumours, intimidation

This type of bullying is more covert and harder to detect.

Bullies tend to target those they perceive as different to themselves and will quite often use a mix of bullying behaviours. Repeated attacks of bullying may also escalate in intensity.

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Other types of bullying include:

Homophobic bullying – motivated by ignorance, prejudice or fear of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people (LGBT). It can affect any person whose interests or choices do not conform to traditional gender norms. People with gay friends or family members may also be targeted.

Racist bullying – behaviour or language that makes a person feel unwelcome or marginalised because of their culture, skin colour, race, faith, or national origin.

Gender based bullying – occurs when a person does not conform to traditional gender stereotypes or is discriminated against because of their gender. For example, a young girl who acts like a ‘tomboy’ or a young boy who is not ‘macho’.

Sexual bullying – this can be a range of behaviours from explicit graffiti on a wall and name-calling, to inappropriate touching, serious sexual assault and even rape.

Bullying can affect young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and disabilities. Young people with SEN and disabilities may find it difficult to identify bullying behaviours and respond appropriately.

Cyber bullying is defined as the use of technology (particularly mobile phones and the internet) to deliberately degrade, harass or hurt.

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Relational Conflict

Isolated incidences of upsetting or hurtful behaviour should not be identified as bullying.

There is a difference between relational conflict and bullying and it is important we recognise this and are able to identify when conflict becomes bullying.

Conflict is usually a one off, accidental event born from an argument, fight, disagreement or falling out where two people are equally involved. Conflict is remorseful and there are usually efforts made to resolve the situation and there is an equal balance of power between individuals involved

Conflict can escalate and turn into bullying thus creating an imbalance of power between individuals. This can often occur in friendship groups.

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Recognising Signs of Bullying

A childs behaviour may indicate that he/she is being bullied. If a child shows some of the following signs, bullying may be responsible and you may want to encourage them to talk to you.

• seem frightened of walking to and from school
• change their usual route
• not want to go on the school bus
• begin truanting or continually ‘feel ill
• their academic performance drops
• doesn’t want to participate in class activities and/or group work
• become withdrawn
• lack confidence and have low self-esteem
• become distressed and anxious
• unable to concentrate
• keep making excuses not to go out at break/lunch time
• hangs around staff room
• seem to be hungry
• attempt or threaten suicide
• become emotional
• refuse to talk about what’s wrong
• have unexplained injuries, torn or damaged clothing
• begin to bully other children
• become aggressive and disruptive

The following behaviours may be a sign that a young person is bullying others:

• use physical strength to intimidate or influence others
• unable to empathise with others
• continually take control or insist on being in charge
• makes negative comments to others
• ridicules others
• overtly confrontational
• doesnt take responsibility for own actions
• continual complaints from other peers about their behaviour

These signs and behaviours could indicate other problems, but bullying should be considered a possibility and should be investigated.

These behaviours have a negative impact on individuals and others. Adults working with children and young people should be prepared to challenge these behaviours and attitudes through their work.

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Preventing Bullying

To prevent bullying, in 2006, ESTYN conducted a survey to recognise effective strategies used by schools and LEAs in Wales.

In their report ‘Tackling Bullying in Schools’ 2006 ESTYN highlighted the following as effective ways to deal with bullying:

• Positive Leadership
• Promoting a strong ethos of respect
• Deploying all staff to deal with bullying and other types of oppressive behaviour

This applies to all schools and youth settings.

Young people are more likely to feel safe and confident to report incidents of bullying if your environment promotes a commitment to pastoral care and by encouraging inclusivity and openness, bullying behaviours are not given the opportunity to thrive.

Establishing links with local service providers, including community police officers, voluntary organisations and parents, will enable you to develop and promote a range of positive initiatives to help create a ‘zero tolerance to bullying culture within your setting.

By conducting regular surveys or questionnaires you will be able to identify the extent of bullying within your environment and highlight bullying ‘hotspots. Once you have identified these areas you can work alongside young people to develop initiatives to make them safer.

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Challenging Bullying

Tackling bullying is the responsibility of all staff within any school, youth or community setting. If staff do not accept responsibility for tackling bullying and are not challenging the low-level name-calling or gossiping, an environment of negativity and fear could develop. If we do not respond effectively when bullying is reported we are reinforcing the behaviour and sending a message that people should just put up with it. If we do not intervene, bullies, bullied and bystanders will believe in the power of bullying rather than the power of prevention.

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If Bullying is Reported

All schools and youth settings have a responsibility to respond promptly and effectively to issues of bullying.

If bullying does occur, all pupils should be able to tell and know that all incidents will be dealt with promptly and effectively.

Listen: For many young people, it takes a lot of confidence to tell someone they are being bullied. It is important to listen to a child if they are reporting bullying to you. Let them tell you what has happened in their own words. Reassure them that it is not their fault and you will do all you can to help and support them.

Make notes: It is important that all reported incidents of bullying are recorded. Explain to the child that you are making notes so that you can follow up the incidents more effectively. Ask them what they want to happen next: Don’t assume that you always know what is best for the child. At this stage, the young person may not want you to do anything except be aware that this is happening to them. Ask the young person what they would like to see happen next and talk through the options available.

Investigate reports: It is important that all reports of bullying are investigated. Left unchallenged bullying behaviours can escalate and create an environment of fear. Speak individually with all parties involved in the incident, including any witnesses who may be able to provide vital information. Documentation of all interviews should be kept and written reports made of the outcome from the investigations, stating if the alleged incident was confirmed and what actions have been taken to resolve issues. It is important to remember not to discuss the incident in front of their peers (unless they ask for a friend to be present) and not to reprimand the alleged bully in front of peers.

Follow up action: Once investigated and confirmed as bullying, it is important that action is taken to ensure the bullying is stopped and appropriate support is given to those involved. At this stage the anti bullying policy should be implemented. There are a range of strategies that can be implemented at this stage and should be outlined in your anti bullying policy. Download a template of an anti bullying policy

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How We Can Help

BulliesOut provide the following initiatives to help schools, youth and community settings with their anti bullying campaign:

Peer Mentor Training

Delivered over a full day, the programme involves role play, team activities and workshops.

Hand of Courage Creative Workshop

This one hour workshop raises awareness of bullying and promotes friendship and support using a creative activity

Say NO To Bullying Interactive Workshop

A one hour activity based workshop suitable for PSE lessons that highlights the difference between conflict and bullying and raises awareness of bullying behaviours and feelings associated with bullying.

Awareness Training for Professionals

Working with you to identify and challenge bullying behaviours.

Information Literature

We have a range of posters, booklets and flyers that can be used for both individual use and display purposes.

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