Student Bullying Prevention and Intervention Policy

1 - Purpose

Loreto Kirribilli (the School) is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people, to acting in students’ best interests, and to keeping them safe from harm. The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance on bullying prevention and intervention.

2 - Scope

This policy applies to Loreto Kirribilli students. This policy applies to all School activities, including camps and excursions. It also applies outside of School hours and off School premises where students are involved and there is a clear and close connection to the School.

3 - Definitions

Bullying

Definition:

Bullying is an ongoing and deliberate misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that causes physical, social and/or psychological harm. It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power, or perceived power, over one or more persons.

Bullying can happen in person or online, on digital platforms and devices and it can be obvious (overt) or hidden (covert).

Bullying behaviour is repeated conduct. Single incidents and conflict or fights between equals, whether in person or online, are generally not bullying. However, these conflicts still generally need to be addressed and resolved.

Bullying of any form or for any reason can have immediate, medium and long-term effects on those involved, including bystanders.

Bullying can take many forms including:

• Physical bullying which involves physical actions such as hitting, pushing, kicking, obstructing or using physical presence, or physical bodily acts, to hurt or intimidate someone or threaten violence. Damaging, stealing or hiding personal belongings is also a form of physical bullying.
• Psychological bullying which involves words or actions which cause psychological harm. Examples of psychological bullying include name calling, teasing or making fun of someone because of their actions, appearance, physical characteristics or cultural background.
• Social (sometimes called relational or emotional bullying) which includes deliberate acts of exclusion, spreading rumours or sharing information, verbally or in writing, to have a harmful effect on the other person and/or damage a person’s social reputation or social acceptance.
• Cyberbullying which is the misuse of power within a relationship to repeatedly threaten or harm another person using technology. Cyberbullying behaviour may include:
  • abusive texts and emails
  • hurtful messages, images or videos
  • imitating others online
  • excluding others online
  • humiliating others online
  • spreading mean online gossip and chat
  • creating fake accounts or 'avatars' to trick someone or humiliate them.

Cyberbullying can occur on internet services, social media and electronic services that enable communication including, but not limited to, instant messaging, chat services, email communications, online games, SMS and MMS. It can be verbal or written and can include images, videos and/or audio.

These behaviours can also be an indicator of child abuse and other harm and may constitute a criminal offence.

What is NOT Bullying?

Definition:

There are many negative situations that, whilst being potentially distressing for students, are not bullying. These include:

• Mutual Conflict Situations which arise where there is a disagreement between students but not an imbalance of power or perceived power. Mutual conflict situations need to be closely monitored as they may evolve into a bullying situation; or
• One-Off Acts (of aggression or meanness) including single incidents of loss of temper, shouting or swearing do not normally constitute bullying.

While these matters do not generally constitute bullying, they are still problematic and will generally need to be dealt with by the School as appropriate to the issue.

Cyberbullying

Definition:

Cyberbullying is material that is provided on a social media service, relevant electronic service, designated internet service (as defined in the Online Safety Act 2021 (Cth)) that an ordinary reasonable person would conclude is likely to:

• be intended to have an effect on a particular child; and
• have the direct or indirect effect on the child as seriously threatening, seriously intimidating, seriously harassing or seriously humiliating the child.

Cyberbullying can be the subject of a complaint to the eSafety Commissioner under section 30 of the Online Safety Act 2021 (Cth).

4 - Policy Statement

4.1 - Our policy

The School recognises its duty to provide a safe and positive learning environment for students where individual differences and diversity within the School is respected and accepted.

Bullying is not tolerated at the School.

It is our policy that:

• Bullying be managed through a ‘whole-of-School community’ approach involving students, staff and parents.
• Bullying prevention strategies are implemented within the School on a continuous basis with a focus on teaching age-appropriate skills and strategies to empower staff, students and parents to recognise bullying and respond appropriately.
• Bullying response strategies are tailored to the circumstances of each incident.
• Procedures for reporting and responding to child safety concerns, including when the behaviour may be an indicator of child abuse and other harm, are established.
• Bullying prevention and intervention strategies are reviewed on an annual basis against best practice.

4.2 - Bullying prevention strategies

The School recognises that the implementation of whole-School prevention strategies is the most effective way of eliminating or minimising incidents of bullying within our community.

There are many initiatives that form part the School’s overall bullying prevention strategy. Strategies to create a ‘no-bullying’ culture within the School may include:

• Structured curriculum and student support systems that provide age-appropriate information and help to build social and emotional skills and competencies relating to bullying (including cyberbullying) and bullying prevention, over the course of the academic year.
• Education, training and professional development of staff in bullying prevention and response strategies.
• Regular provision of information to parents to raise awareness as well as equip them to recognise signs of bullying, as well as to provide them with clear paths for raising any concerns they may have related to bullying directly with the School.
• Promotion of a supportive environment that encourages the development of positive relationships and communication between students, staff and parents.
• Promotion of responsible bystander behaviour amongst students, staff and parents.
• Encouragement of reporting of incidents of alleged bullying by students, bystanders, staff, and parents and the establishment of multiple reporting channels.
• Support of students by their teachers, wellbeing staff and the School leadership when they report a bullying incident and during the processes that follow the submission of the report.
• Survey of students to identify bullying issues that may ordinarily go unnoticed by staff.
• Analysis of records of reported bullying incidents in order to identify students who persistently intimidate or bully and/or students who are persistently bullied and to implement targeted prevention strategies where appropriate.
• Communication of statements supporting bullying prevention made available to students on the School Learning Management System (Kirri).
• Education of staff, students and parents on mental and physical health conditions to promote understanding of these conditions and to reduce stigma and fear.
• Promotion of student awareness and a ‘no bullying’ environment by participating in events such as the National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence.

4.3 - Signs of bullying

Major behavioural changes in a student may indicate bullying. Such behavioural changes may include:

• crying at night and having nightmares
• refusing to talk when asked “What’s wrong?”
• having unexplained bruises, cuts or scratches
• an unwillingness or refusal to go to school, a school organised activity or reluctance to attend other social events
• feeling ill in the mornings
• a decline in quality of schoolwork
• becoming withdrawn and lacking confidence
• appearing lonely or distressed
• displaying bullying behaviour towards siblings
• unexpected changes in friendship groups
• acting unreasonably
• damaged equipment or clothes
• talking in a derogatory fashion

Signs of cyberbullying to watch out for may include one or more of the behavioural changes outlined above and/or other signs, including a student:

• being upset after using the internet or their mobile phone
• being hesitant to go online, avoiding their phone or seeming nervous when an instant message, text message or email appears
• spending unusually long hours online or on their mobile phone
• becoming secretive about their online activities and mobile phone use.

Parents are encouraged to immediately notify the School if they suspect their child is being bullied.

These behaviours can also be an indicator of child abuse and other harm.

4.4 - Anti-bullying strategies for parents

It is important to remember that bullying will be most effectively dealt with, and with the least damage to both the child being bullied and the child who is bullying, when parents and the School work collaboratively and cooperatively together to find a solution. Parents should not intervene directly but should work with the School to address bullying.

The School sees its partnership with parents as essential in promoting the well-being, happiness and productivity of all the students in its care.

The following brief guidelines may assist parents to help their children so that they do not become bullies or victims:

• Encourage your daughter to talk to you about bullying regularly, let them know how much you disapprove of bullying and explain why.
• Model and encourage respect for others, emphasise seeing things from another’s point of view and instil an awareness of the rights of others not to be mistreated.
• Stress how important it is that bullying is everyone’s problem. No-one can be neutral about it. Encourage your daughter to support a student who is being bullied and to report it. If she will not talk to the School, you should do so.
• Communicate regularly and openly with the School; it is important to develop two-way lines of communication. In the Senior School your daughter’s Circle Teacher, Year Wellbeing Coordinator, and Head of Senior School are the primary points of contact. In the Junior School, your daughter’s Class Teacher and the Head of Junior School are the primary points of contact.
• Take an active interest in all areas of your daughter’s school life, encourage her to talk to you and to talk to teachers she trusts and likes.
• Develop resilient social skills in your daughter such as encouraging her to speak openly and confidently, how to negotiate and to express her own opinion without fear. Help her learn the difference between friendly banter/joking and bullying, and help her distinguish between those friends who care about her feelings and those ‘friends’ who do not.

Your daughter will copy what you do, and it is important that you offer her a positive role model of being resilient, compassionate and respectful of others’ rights.

4.5 - Reporting culture

One of the main barriers to addressing bullying is the reluctance on the part of victims to report incidents. Equally, authority figures (teachers, parents, other staff) and witnesses can overlook incidents, or accept them as part of the ‘rough and tumble’ of school life.

It is important to the School that it creates an atmosphere of support and care for the individual. The School will take steps to ensure that all staff and students know and understand what bullying behaviour is, and that they should report any incident to an adult/staff member they trust.

Students and their parents must be alert to signs of distress or agitation and to suspected incidents of bullying and report them to the School.

4.6 - Reporting bullying

Students and their parents are sometimes reluctant to pursue bullying incidents for fear that it will only make matters worse.

A key part of the School’s bullying prevention and intervention strategy is to encourage reporting of bullying incidents as well as provide support and assurance to students who experience bullying by assuring parents and students that:

• bullying is not tolerated within the School
• their concerns will be taken seriously
• the School has a clear strategy for dealing with bullying issues.

Bullying incidents can be advised to the School verbally or in writing through any of the following avenues:

• informing a trusted teacher
• informing the School psychologist
• informing a student’s Circle Teacher, Class Teacher, Year Wellbeing Coordinator or Coordinator of Students
• informing the Head of Senior School, Head of Junior School, Deputy Principal or Principal.

4.7 - Complaints to the eSafety Commissioner about cyberbullying targeted at a child

Where cyberbullying is targeted at a child under the age of 18 years, a complaint can be made to:

• The provider of a social media service, relevant electronic service, designated internet service (as defined in the Online Safety Act 2021 (Cth)) -see The eSafety Guide for information about providers.
• The eSafety Commissioner under section 30 of the Online Safety Act 2021 (Cth).

Complaints to the eSafety Commissioner can be made through the online portal by the child, their parent or guardian, or an adult authorised by the child to make the complaint. The eSafety Commissioner has the power to investigate the complaint and to issue a removal notice.

For the eSafety Commissioner to investigate cyberbullying, the harmful content must have first been reported to the service or platform used to send, post or share it – at least 48 hours before it is reported to the eSafety Commissioner.

The Office of the eSafety Commissioner provides resources, advice and strategies for parents, schools and children on how to deal with cyberbullying for people under the age of 18.

4.8 - Responding to Bullying

Bullying behaviours vary enormously in their extent and intent and, as a consequence, each incident needs to be dealt with on its facts.

In all circumstances the School will:

• Take bullying incidents seriously.
• Take seriously and monitor single incidents of conflict or fights between students, that do not ordinarily amount to bullying, for signs of ongoing behaviour, which may be an indicator of bullying.
• Provide assurance to the victim that they are not at fault and their confidentiality will be respected to the extent possible.
• Ensure that teachers, wellbeing, and School leadership staff support the victim through the reporting process and the corresponding investigation and resolution processes.
• Ensure that student leaders support the School’s anti-bullying policy and promote anti-bullying behaviours.
• Take time to appropriately investigate the situation including discussing the incident with the victim, the student who engaged in the bullying and any bystanders, as the School considers necessary.
• Keep parents of the victim and the student who engaged in the bullying informed of the situation as and when appropriate to do so.
• Seek to understand any concerns of individuals involved.
• Maintain records of reported bullying incidents.
• Escalate its response when dealing with students who persistently bully and/or severe incidents of bullying, as necessary.

Consider whether the behaviour gives rise to concerns that the student exhibiting the behaviour and/or the student subject to the behaviour may be experiencing child abuse or other harm, and, if so, f Reviewed in June 2024 and the following amendments were made:

• Defined the scope of the policy (see section 2)
• Follow the School’s Child Safe Policy.

Actions that may be taken when responding to bullying include:

• Notifying and consulting with parents/guardians.
• Offering counselling to students who persistently bully and/or students who are persistently bullied.
• Implementing effective follow up strategies.
• Consulting the School Police Liaison and/or Youth Liaison Officer. School Police Liaison are NSW Police officers who work with schools to reduce crime, violence and anti-social behaviour. Students are encouraged to contact the School Police Liaison Officer if they have any concerns.
• Disciplinary action at the Principal’s discretion, including suspension and expulsion depending on the circumstances.

This is not an exhaustive list of possible actions. Actions taken by the School may depend on the circumstances. The School will determine the most appropriate action to take in response to an allegation of bullying.

5 - Policy implementation

This policy is implemented through a combination of:

• Staff training
• Student and parent education and information
• Involvement of external bodies and authorities as and when appropriate
• Effective incident reporting and recording procedures
• Effective management of bullying incidents when reported
• The creation of a ‘no-bullying’ culture within the school community
• Effective record keeping procedures
• Initiation of corrective actions where necessary

6 - Related Legislation and Policy Documents

Loreto Kirribilli Policies and Procedures

• Child Safe Policy
• Student Behaviour Management Policy

7. Version History

Bullying Prevention and Intervention – Further Information

Anti-Bullying Strategies for Students

Your rights and responsibilities:

It is a student’s right to feel safe at school. It is the right of all students to have a safe, supportive and caring environment in which to pursue their education. It is a student’s responsibility to make this possible by:

• not engaging in any bullying behaviour in any form
• reporting any bullying they see, and if possible, stepping in to stop it
• telling someone who is bullying to stop, and supporting the victim
• if they see any bullying, talking to someone in authority as soon as possible.

If you are being bullied:

• The first thing to remember is: It is not your fault. Bullies want to hurt or belittle their victims because the bully wants to feel powerful, not because you have done something or said something.
• You should try to tell the bully to stop. This can be difficult, but it is important to try. Equally, you should try to walk away ignoring any taunts or name-calling. Do not respond aggressively or with taunts of your own.
• You must tell someone. Do not think that no-one cares or that no-one wants to know about it. If you cannot tell someone on your own, find a friend to go with you. By telling someone, you immediately help to make the bully less powerful.
• There are many people in the School that you can talk to including the Principal, the Deputy Principal, the Head of Junior School, the Head of Senior School or one of your teachers.

If you see someone being bullied:

• Support the victim and tell the bully to stop. It is important to do this as it shows you care. You care for the victim, and you care that the bully should not behave in that manner.
• Take the victim away from the situation. Find another group of friends to be with and let the victim know you support her.
• Tell someone. The victim may not want to talk to a member of staff, but it is vital that the School knows about the bullying incident. By telling someone, bullying behaviour can be stopped. Support the victim and offer to go with her to talk to someone. If she won’t, you must tell someone yourself.

What is bullying and what should you do?

Bullying can take many forms. It can happen in public, or it can be hidden.

• One form of bullying is aggressive and public. Behaviour such as violence towards a student, or publicly damaging or stealing their belongings is easily seen and easily identified. If you see this, you should follow the steps outlined above, making sure you support the victim and that you tell someone.
• Another form of bullying is less openly aggressive and is partly public, partly hidden. This includes behaviour such as the repeated ridicule or put-down of a student within a group or class, or the malicious removal or damage of a student’s belongings, witnessed by a small group. This is often described by the bully as ‘friendly teasing’ or as something done ‘in fun’. This is not the case. It is bullying. If you belong to the group, you may find it difficult to stand up to your friends; however, it is important that you do not join in. You should follow the steps outlined above, making sure you support the victim and that you tell someone. Remember, if your friends can treat one student like this, they can do the same to you.
• A third form of bullying is hidden but equally harmful and hurtful. This is behaviour where a student is deliberately excluded or isolated from a group, where, for example, malicious and unfounded rumours and gossip are spread. This form of ‘anonymous’ bullying is the most difficult to identify; however, as a student you can do something about it. The most important thing you can do is not join in this form of behaviour. You should not repeat rumours or gossip you hear. You should not exclude someone from your group or your activities because someone else says you should. It can be very difficult to stand up to your friends, but it is important to remember that everyone should be treated with respect and courtesy, no matter who they are. The steps outlined above should be followed, making sure you support the victim and that you tell someone. Remember, if your friends can treat one student like this, they can do the same to you.

One thing is certain, as a student, you cannot be neutral about bullying. If you see any form of bullying occur and do nothing, you are condoning it.

What is cyberbullying?

• Cyberbullying is the use of technology by one person as a means to scare, belittle or exclude another. A cyberbullying incident can be direct or indirect. Direct cyberbullying can be a malicious or hurtful text-message or email sent to a specific victim. Indirect cyberbullying can be a message, URL, or photograph spread widely by text or email, damaging an individual’s reputation or inciting gossip.
• Cyberbullying is not time or place specific. It can happen 24 hours a day, at home, at school, on holiday. The victim can feel they are never safe from the bully.
• Cyberbullying is often anonymous. As cyberbullying is often conducted off school property, it is possible that the cyberbully may be in a different class, year group or even a different school. Cyberbullies can hide behind technology with great ease.
• Cyberbullying can employ a wide variety of means including instant messaging, message boards, text, email, chat rooms, personal and social networking sites. Any student with access to a mobile phone and computer/internet can be involved in cyberbullying.

How is the school addressing cyberbullying?

• The School sees no difference between bullying in person and bullying by electronic or technological means.
• The School’s Information Technology Department monitors school computer accounts and internet usage. Any student found to be abusing the school network will have her access suspended and the incident will be investigated.
• The School does not allow students to access mobile phones during the school day. The School will generally seek to investigate any reported incidents of cyberbullying, noting that any cyberbullying incidents that take place outside school hours or off school property can be difficult to investigate and prove.

What can parents do to combat cyberbullying?

• Talk to your daughter about cyberbullying and make sure she is aware of what it is. Being open and direct is very important in helping her to stay safe.
• Computers with internet access should be located publicly in the home. If you can see what your daughter is looking at, which sites she is accessing, how often she is instant messaging, you are in a stronger position to be aware of her online habits.
• Encourage a sensible and mature approach to the internet. Do not let her respond to jibes or taunts. Ensure she knows you are always there to help and support her.
• If your daughter receives messages or emails that are malicious or bullying in intent, make sure she does not delete them. Keeping the text/email is the first step in tracking down the bully. Encourage her to block senders and to change email addresses if needed. If she uses instant messaging or goes to chat rooms, encourage her to use a different name/nickname.
• If you think your daughter is being cyberbullied, signs to look out for include: refusing to answer her mobile phone, or conversely, constant and nervous checking for messages, distress after using the computer, a seemingly unwarranted need to change her mobile number, secretive online habits such as changing screens whenever you walk by.
• Become as IT literate as possible. Internet and mobile phone technology can appear to be mystifying and rather frightening. Only by acquiring the knowledge to understand it and use it well, are you able to help your daughter become a sensible IT user.

What can students do if they are being cyberbullied?

• First of all, tell someone. It is very important that you do not suffer in silence.
• Do not delete the text message or email – you should show it to your parents or to a teacher – and it is only by keeping the evidence that the bully may be tracked down.
• Block any senders who are malicious or unkind. If you receive a hurtful email, change email addresses and only give your new address to people you trust.
• Never give out your mobile phone number or email address to someone you don’t know or to someone you don’t trust. Never give out your real name or your email address while in a chat room.

Anti-Bullying Resources

The more the School community know about bullying and how to deal with it, the more effective we will be in counteracting it. Bullying is not the sole domain of schools, rather it is throughout our communities and can continue when we are adults. If we are able to demonstrate to the students in our School that we will not tolerate it, and if we aim to equip them with the skills to deal with it while they are at school, we will have helped them deal with it in the future. To this end, the following are some useful resources, which may help increase our knowledge and understanding of this difficult subject.

General Resources

• The National Coalition Against Bullying: www.ncab.org.au
• Andrew Fuller: www.andrewfuller.com.au
• Antibullying network site: www.antibullying.net/. This network was established by the Scottish Executive for teachers, parents and young people to share ideas about how bullying should be tackled.
• Bullying. No Way. www.bullyingnoway.com.au
• Bullying: What can we do? www.kids.nsw.gov.au/files/seminar_bullying.pdf
• Bullying. Everybody’s Business. A Kids Help Line Initiative www.kidshelp.com.au/info7/contents.htm
• Bounce Back program – Toni Noble www.beyondblue.org.au

Cyberbullying Resources

• www.ncab.org.au
• Net Alert Helpline: 1800 880 176

Version: 2
Date: 2 December 2024