What is bullying?

Bullying is behaviour by an individual or a group that is seen by you as an attempt to hurt, frighten, humiliate or threaten you or someone else, particularly if the behaviour is repeated or persistent.

If you are being bullied in any way or are worried about somebody else who might be you must tell somebody.

As a school we take bullying very seriously. Students and parents should be assured that they will be supported when bullying is reported.

 

Bullying behaviour can be

• Physical – pushing, poking, kicking, hitting, biting, taking someone’s belongings.
• Verbal – name calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, threats, teasing, belittling, racist or sexist comments.
• Emotional – isolating others, tormenting, hiding books, threatening gestures, ridicule, humiliation, intimidating, excluding, manipulation and coercion, tormenting, graffiti.
• Sexual – unwanted physical contact, inappropriate touching, abusive comments, homophobic abuse, exposure to inappropriate films, comments relating to sex or sexuality.
• Online/cyber – posting on social media, sharing photos, sending nasty text messages, social exclusion.
• Indirect –Can include the exploitation of individuals, spreading rumours, sending abusive texts, excluding somebody from a group.

 

How to react

• Try to ignore bullies.  Walk away and do not let them see that you are upset.  Don’t give them the satisfaction of getting a reaction from you.
• If you can, calmly stand up for yourself and ask them to stop their behaviour.
• Try to stay with your friends and avoid being on your own.

 

What to do next

Tell someone you trust.  This could be a friend, someone at home or a teacher.  You could email enquiries@theheightsburnley.com or text 07379 241143. Visit the Pastoral Office in LRC and discuss the issue with a member of staff. They are there every morning between 8:00an-8:30am along with one of the schools Safeguarding Officers. Just talking to someone may help you to find a solution to the problem.

 

What will happen if you tell a teacher?

The teacher will listen to you and offer support.  The teacher can talk to the person who is bullying you (if you agree) and hopefully stop the bullying.

 

What to do if you see bullying

• Comfort, support and stay with the victim.
• Tell the victim to report the incident.
• Tell somebody (e.g. a teacher) what you have seen.
• If you are in a group where one member is bullying, show that you disapprove, because by doing nothing you support the bully.

If there are any serious offences reported this information may be given to other agencies to assist in helping you with your problem. For advice on cyberbullying go to the following Website: http://ceop.police.uk/

 

Remember

Bullying will not be tolerated at The Heights, Burnley
Report it so we can sort it!

• View the Safeguarding page on our website
• Text the school mobile no: 07379 241143
• View our Anti Bullying Policy in full on our Policies page