Lewes New School policy on bullying

The school has a strong integrated anti-bullying policy which is based on

1. Prevention
2. Resolution

The school's definition of bullying is behaviour which: *causes harm to those who are powerless to stop it *takes place repeatedly over time *is a social behaviour often involving groups *meets the needs of those holding the power *can take many forms: verbal, physical, psychological

We do not define occasional acts of aggression or gang fights as bullying. For this type of behaviour, our usual policy on discipline will be employed.

Prevention
For the prevention of bullying behaviour by pupils or staff, the school creates and sustains an environment where: *bullying is seen by all to be inappropriate behaviour *feelings are heard and differences are respected *pupils and staff feel a shared responsibility for the well-being of all *empathy for the feelings of others is fostered by various activities built in to the curriculum such as Circle Time, Problem-Solving, and Conflict Resolution All staff are committed to the creation of an environment in which bullying behaviour cannot flourish, and take full responsibility for their role as models and facilitators of appropriate inter-personal relationships.

We employ a seven-step procedure:

1. Talk with the Victim The facilitator encourages the victim to describe his or her feelings, using active listening. The purpose is not to discover factual evidence, but to allow the victim to express his or her distress. Some children may prefer to write something or make a drawing or painting expressing how they feel. The victim is then asked to suggest names of those involved in the bullying, including some colluders and observers, and some friends, in order to create a problem-solving group. The facilitator checks if there is any information that the victim does not want to share with the group, and is assured that this will be kept confidential.
2. Convene a Meeting with the People Involved The victim is not included in this group unless he or she really wants to be present. This is to prevent a situation of accusation and recrimination developing, which would undermine the problem-solving process.
3. Explain the Problem The facilitator begins by telling the group that she has a problem; she is worried about 'John'. She then recounts his distress. There is no reference to specific incidents, or names.
4. Share Responsibility The facilitator reassures the group that no-one is to be punished; there is joint responsibility to help John to be safe and happy, and the group has been convened to help solve the problem.
5. Ask the Group Members for their Ideas Statements are asked to be made in the 'I' language of intention, eg. 'I will invite John to join in our games'. The facilitator makes positive responses, but does not extract promises.
6. Leave it up to Them The meeting ends with the passing of responsibility to the group. The facilitator thanks them and expresses confidence in their ability to resolve the problem.
7. Follow-up Meetings are Arranged These are set for one week later with each individual separately, including the victim, to discourage competetiveness.