Bullying And Harassment In Schools
School bullying has always existed since the beginning of time. However, the government and its associated organisations have started taking school bullying seriously over the last 20 years or so. Learning that your child is being bullied and then watching your child’s reactions (whether overtly or otherwise) is traumatic for any parent.
Please do not feel helpless. In this Help Guide we will discuss what you as a parent can do if your child experiences bullying in school.
We have also written a Help Guide for you if your child is experiencing online and social media bullying. Please click on the link below.
LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR ONLINE STALKING & ONLINE BULLYING.
WHAT IS BULLYING IN SCHOOL?
Bullying is the intentional causing of physical pain, harm, fear and/or emotional distress to another through repetitive and persistent behaviour over a period of time. Bullying encompasses verbal abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse, online abuse, texting abuse and social media abuse.
WHAT IS HARASSMENT IN SCHOOLS?
Harassment is where the continuous unwanted behaviour of an individual causes upset and distress to a person they are targeting because of their identity. Harassment can come in the form of rude facial expressions, physical gestures, offensive banter, verbal abuse, offensive comments on social media and graffiti.
If a child is harassed because of a protected characteristic such as gender and skin colour then this is referred to as discrimination.
LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR DISCRIMINATION IN SCHOOLS
LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND GENDER BASED VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS.
WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY ABOUT SCHOOLS AND BULLYING?
LINK TO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION GUIDE FOR PREVENTING AND TACKLING BULLYING
Under section 175 of the education act 2002 a maintained school and the local authority must safeguard a child and reduce the risk of harm from bullying. A child’s welfare is of paramount importance. The school must take all reports of bullying seriously and work with other agencies and organisations to help the child.
LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBSITE FOR SECTION 175 OF THE EDUCATION ACT 2002
Under section 89 of the education and inspections act 2006 all maintained schools must have an anti-bullying policy.
LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBSITE FOR THE EDUCATION AND INSPECTIONS ACT 2006
Under the equalities act 2010 the school must make sure there are good relations between children who share and do not share protected characteristics. The school must eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation, and any other conduct prohibited by the Act.
LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBSITE FOR THE EQUALITIES ACT 2010
Under part 3 of the education (independent school standards) regulations act 2014 academies and independent schools (private schools) must protect children from bullying and have an anti-bullying policy.
LINK TO PART 3 OF THE EDUCATION (INDEPENDENT SCHOOL STANDARDS) REGULATIONS ACT 2014
Under the children act 1989 bullying is a child protection responsibility and if a child is being harmed by the bullying the school must inform the local authority children’s social care.
LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBSITE FOR CHILDREN ACT 1989
WHAT CONSTITUTES BULLYING?
Bullying can involve the following actions if the intent is to harm a child:
- Name calling
- Belittling
- Poking fun
- Pushing and shoving
- Threats
- Physical violence
- Cyber bullying
- Malicious communication
- Spreading of malicious information and images.
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT BULLYING
Being bullied should never be taken lightly or the situation dismissed. Bullying can cause a great deal of anguish to a child. There are many misconceptions about bullying. Some of these are:
- Bullying will make your child stronger
- It will make your child grow up
- It is a part of childhood
- It is normal
- It will teach your child to stand up for themselves
- It’s just banter
- It’s harmless
- It’s just someone joking or just having a laugh
WHY SHOULD YOU TAKE YOUR CHILD’S BULLYING SERIOUSLY?
Many people carry the damage that bullying has done to them with them throughout their life. The myth that ‘they’ll get over it’ does not exist and rarely does a person get over it. Bullying can –
- Destroy your child’s confidence.
- Affect their concentration in school.
- Leave them feeling insecure.
- Make them lose their appetite and lead to eating disorders
- Affect their other relationships.
- Stop them expressing themselves.
- Stop them making new relationships.
- Encourage thoughts of self harm
- Give them suicidal thoughts.
COULD SOME OF YOUR CHILD’S SYMPTOMS BE A SIGN OF BULLYING?
It is not easy to spot when your child is being bullied. Many of the obvious signs that could lead you to think your child is being bullied may be due to other reasons. However, it is still important to take note and keep your bullying radar on. Some potential signs are –
- Your child is unusually quiet and withdrawn
- Your child is not eating properly
- Your child won’t come out of their room.
- They make excuses not to go to school
- Your child is overreacting to situations
- They are anxious and nervous.
- They are bedwetting
- They have difficulty sleeping
- There are unexplained injuries on their body.
- They have torn clothes and/or a broken bag
- Your child has items and money missing where your child does not have a reasonable explanation.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO WHEN YOUR CHILD INFORMS YOU THAT THEY ARE BEING BULLIED?
It takes a lot of courage for a child to inform you and admit they are being bullied. When they do please remember the following points:
- Tell your child they have done the right thing by informing you
- Listen intently and calmly.
- Do not interrupt your child.
- Let your child speak and unload
- Hold their hand if they will let you
- Do not react negatively or violently
- Do not make it about you
- Reassure your child that you believe them
- Tell your child you will help them, and they are not alone.
- Reassure your child the bullying will not get worse because they have informed you.
- If you can, gently and slowly ask questions and get as much information as possible. Please write this information down (take notes) so you do not forget. Some questions you can ask are –
- What are the names of the bullies?
- What class are they in and/or where do they live?
- What do these bullies look like?
- When did the bullying start?
- How often does it happen?
- Details of specific incidents?
- Is the bullying verbal and/or physical?
- Are the bullies threatening your child?
- Are the bullies stealing from your child?
- Are the bullies damaging your child’s property?
AS A PARENT WHAT CAN YOU DO TO STOP THE BULLYING?
STEP 1 – Make detailed notes, take photographs, and gather evidence.
As stated above, allow your child to talk, ask them questions and write down the answers. Write down names, surnames, descriptions, timeframes, what has happened and when, how your child feels, details of violent incidents and verbal abuse.
Please take photographs of any bruises, damage to clothing and other items.
If there is any evidence such as threatening notes or messages on the answer machine, please gather it and keep it safe.
STEP 2 – If the bullying has been physical or sexual and/or there have been threats of physical or sexual violence, contact the police, and get a case reference number.
Go to your local police station and insist on making a report. Take your notes and give the police a detailed account. Do not call 999 unless your child has come home physically or sexually hurt.
STEP 3 – Call or email your child’s year head, form tutor or academic advisor.
Contact your child’s school and ask for a face-to-face appointment. If the school only offers a zoom call appointment because of ‘COVID restrictions’, then you may have to agree to this. If you can please do not agree to discuss your concerns by phone or email because you may not be able to get your information across in detail.
STEP 4 – Go prepared for the appointment
When you speak to a staff member at the school please do the following –
- Explain your concerns calmly and clearly.
- State facts
- Do not be emotional
- Inform them you have contacted the police if this is the case
- Show them your evidence but do not leave it with them. If the school wants to keep the evidence, then give them a copy and keep the originals yourself (if this is possible).
- Ask questions and put them on the spot –
- What is the school going to do about the bullying?
- How will they keep you informed?
- How much involvement can you have?
- What disciplinary action will the bullies face?
- Will the bullies be made to apologise to your child?
- Ask the time schedule from start to finish of what the school will be doing and when
- What preventative measures are going to be put in place to prevent this bullying from happening again (It may be too soon to ask this question. If it is then please do remember to ask later)
- Take down detailed notes (called the minutes) of the meeting. Write down who was there, what was said and what was agreed. If the school is taking minutes of the meeting, please ask for a copy to be emailed to you but please check they have not left any detail out.
- Remind the school of their legal duties to protect your child from bullying and to deal with it. The UK government has passed acts outlining a schools responsibility in preventing and dealing with bullying. The acts are detailed above for your reference. Please do not feel embarrassed at mentioning these acts and reminding the school of their legal duties.
STEP 5 – Keep on top of how the school is handling and resolving your child’s bullying incident
Keep in touch with the school for updates and put the school staff on the spot to give answers if there are any delays or dragging of feet.
WHAT DO YOU DO IF THE SCHOOL DOES NOT HANDLE YOUR CHILD’S BULLYING INCIDENT TO YOUR SATISFACTION?
If you are unhappy with the school’s initial response and the outcome, then you can escalate the matter to senior staff. You will now be complaining about the way the initial bullying was handled and dealt with by the school as well as asking the school to re-investigate the initial bullying incident.
All schools have a written guide explaining the step by step procedure of how to make an initial complaint and how to escalate a complaint through various stages from low level staff to senior staff to the head teacher and then to the governors of the school. Please ask the school for this information guide.
WHAT OTHER MEASURES CAN YOU TAKE AS WELL AS ESCALATING YOUR COMPLAINT TO MAKE SURE THE BULLYING IS TAKEN SERIOUSLY?
If your complaint escalates to you writing to the head of the school or the governors, you can copy your local councillor and ask them to oversee the process.
LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBPAGE TO FIND YOUR LOCAL COUNCILLORS
If the bullying was physical then you can ask for the details of your local school police officer and have a chat with them.
WHAT CAN YOU DO IF YOU ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THE OUTCOME OF THE FINAL STAGE OF THE SCHOOL COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE?
If you are unhappy with the response from the school governors then you can contact your local education authority (LEA) and make a formal complaint. They are the local council that oversee education in your borough.
You will find their details on your local authority website. If you are complaining about the way a private school, an academy or free handled your child’s bullying then you cannot complain to the LEA.
Please click on the link below for further help.
LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR COMPLAINING TO AND ABOUT UK EDUCATION ESTABLISHMENTS.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN DO IF YOU ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH THE LEA RESPONSE?
Yes, there is. If you feel the LEA has not investigated your complaint that your child’s school did not investigate bullying properly then there are further steps you can take. They are –
1. You can contact your local government ombudsman – They will investigate whether the LEA investigated properly.
LINK TO YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT & SOCIAL CARE OMBUDSMAN
2. You can contact your MP – They may open an investigation into your complaint if they feel it has merit.
LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBSITE FOR YOUR MP
3. You can contact the office for the UK secretary of state for education – If your child is still a pupil at the school the pupils and parents branch of this office will deal with your complaint. The contact details are House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA or at the Department of Education at 20 Great Smith St, London SW1P 3BT.
CAN THE SCHOOL TAKE ACTION AGAINST A STUDENT WHO HAS BULLIED YOUR CHILD OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL?
Yes, they can. Under section 89 (5) of the education and inspections act 2006 the school head teacher can get involved and discipline a child. The school is required to contact the police if the bullying has a criminal element or if the bullying included anti-social behaviour.
LINK TO GOVERNMENT ACT – SECTION 89(5) OF THE EDUCATION AND INSPECTIONS ACT 2006.
SHOULD YOU REMOVE YOUR CHILD FROM SCHOOL IF THE BULLYING CONTINUES?
If the bullying is continuing, you feel your child is at risk of harm, the school is not taking this issue as seriously as you would like or what the school has implemented has not worked then you may be considering taking your child out of school.
However, under section 444 (1) of the education act 1996 you as a parent must ensure your child attends school. If you do not you can be prosecuted. Keeping your child away from school will be deemed as unauthorised absence.
It is better that you talk to the school and your local authority and discuss one of the following as an option especially if your child is suffering:
1. Home schooling
LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR ELECTIVE HOME EDICATION (HOME SCHOOLING)
2. Ask the school for an authorised absence
3. Ask for a managed move
4. Ask for a transfer to a new school
5. Ask for alternative education. You can do this under section 19 of the education act 1996
LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBSITE FOR SECTION 19 OF THE EDUCATION ACT 1996
CAN YOU CONTACT THE POLICE IS YOUR CHILD IS BEING BULLIED OR HARASSED?
Yes you can. If the bullying and harassment is continuing and you feel your child is in danger then you must call the police.
You can contact the Police – You can dial 999 if a child is at risk or a crime has been committed. Alternatively if there is no emergency you can dial 101 or file a report online.
LINK TO POLICE WEBSITE TO REPORT A CRIME ONLINE
You can contact Crimestoppers – You can report a crime anonymously to crimestoppers. Their telephone number is 0800 555 111
LINK TO WEBSITE FOR CRIMESTOPPERS.
WHERE CAN YOU AS A PARENT TALK, GET HELP AND ADVICE?
You can contact the following to talk and get support –
You can contact the NSPCC – You can contact the NSPCC and speak to them about your concerns that your child is being bullied. If the child is in danger they will call the police.
LINK TO WEBSITE FOR NSPCC – CONTACT US
You can contact FAMILY LIVES – Family lives was previously known as parentline. You can speak to them about your concerns that your child is being bullied.
LINK TO WEBSITE FOR FAMILY LIVES – CONTACT US
You can contact SAMARITANS – The Samaritans are a free organisation that you can talk to about bullying. Call their helpline on 116 123. They are available 24 hours a day. You can email them, chat online or write them a letter.
LINK TO WEBSITE FOR SAMARITANS – CONTACT US
You can contact SUPPORTLINE – Supportline can provide confidential emotional support over the phone with regards to bullying. Their helpline number is 01708 765 200. You can also email them.
LINK TO WEBSITE FOR SUPPORTLINE – CONTACT US
You can contact your local authority child services – You can call them directly or look on their website to see if there are any local support groups where you can get support.
LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBSITE TO FIND YOUR LOCAL AUTHORITY
You can contact VICTIM SUPPORT – Victim support is a charity that can help individuals who have been the victim of a crime. They have a free confidential support telephone line and live chat. They are independent of the police.
LINK TO WEBSITE FOR VICTIM SUPPORT – CONTACT US
You can contact other organisations –
LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE 16 – CONNECT WITH CHARITABLE ORGANISATIONS THAT COULD HELP YOU.
LINK TO WEBSITE FOR ANTI BULLYING ALLIANCE (ABA)
LINK TO WEBSITE FOR BEATBULLYING – FACEBOOK PAGE
LINK TO WEBSITE FOR NATIONAL BULLYING HELPLINE
You can read our help guide for where you can get help if your child is a victim –
LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR WHERE CAN YOU REACH OUT TO GET HELP IF YOUR CHILD IS A VICTIM
WHERE CAN YOUR CHILD TALK, GET HELP AND ADVICE?
Your child can contact CHILDLINE – If your child has suffered from bullying and harassment and they need to talk to someone, they can call childline.