Bullying In Schools
Schools have a duty of care towards their students as well as the Minister under the statutory guidelines to ensure that their students do not meet with foreseeable harm.
Strategies for Supporting a Student
A school wellbeing team can support a student who has disclosed that they are being bullied by implementing several strategies:
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Address the issue immediately: Take immediate action to address the issue of bullying and provide the student with a sense of safety and support.
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Document the incident: Document the incident, including details of what was said or done, when and where it occurred, and the names of any witnesses.
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Inform the school administration: Inform the school administration about the incident and work with them to develop a plan of action to address the bullying.
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Support the student: Provide emotional support to the student and work with them to develop a safety plan.
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Support the bully: Work with the bully to understand their behavior and to help them learn positive ways to interact with others.
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Inform the parents: Inform the parents of the student who has been bullied as well as the parents of the bully.
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Address the situation in the classroom: Address the situation in the classroom and provide guidance to the teachers on how to prevent and respond to bullying.
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Implement a school-wide anti-bullying program: Implement a school-wide anti-bullying program that addresses the issue of bullying and promotes positive behavior among students.
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Monitor the situation: Monitor the situation and check in with the student to ensure that they are safe and that the bullying has stopped.
Bullying Outside of School
In case of bullying outside of school, the school wellbeing team can:
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Inform the student of the school's zero-tolerance policy for bullying and that the school will take all reports of bullying seriously, regardless of where it occurs.
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Provide the student with resources for dealing with bullying outside of school, such as contact information for community organisations, counseling services, and hotlines.
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Encourage the student to report any further incidents of bullying to the appropriate authorities, such as the police or social services.
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Work with the student to develop a safety plan for dealing with bullying outside of school, such as avoiding certain situations or people, or seeking support from trusted adults.
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Inform the parents of the student and work with them to develop a plan to address the bullying outside of school.
Safety Planning
It is important to note that different schools may have different specific needs and ways of supporting students who are being bullied. It is also important to be aware of and respect the student's privacy, and work with them to identify the support that they are comfortable with.
When developing a safety plan with a student who is undergoing bullying, it is important to involve the student in the process and to tailor the plan to their specific needs. A safety plan typically includes the following components:
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Identifying triggers: Helping the student identify what situations, people, or places trigger the bullying, so that they can be prepared to avoid or manage those situations.
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Establishing coping strategies: Assisting the student in developing coping strategies for dealing with the emotional impact of the bullying, such as deep breathing, visualisation, or self-talk.
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Building a support network: Identifying a network of supportive people that the student can turn to for help, such as friends, family members, teachers, counselors, or other trusted adults.
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Identifying safe places: Identifying safe places within the school where the student can go to get away from the bullying, such as the counselor's office, library, or a designated safe room.
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Developing a communication plan: Developing a communication plan for the student to use in case of an emergency, such as a code word or phrase that the student can use to alert a trusted adult that they need help.
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Creating a plan for reporting bullying: Developing a plan for the student to report bullying, such as who to talk to, what to say, and how to document the incident.
Online Bullying
Online or cyberbullying is another form of bullying which can take many forms such as name calling, repeated unwanted messages, spreading rumours or lies, fake accounts used to harass people, excluding people from social activities and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles. NGOs such as Netsafe in New Zealand (https://netsafe.org.nz/bullying-abuse-support/) can provide support in resolving problems.
From a schools perspective, these are a few things could be discussed with the student:
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Document the incident: Record the details of the bullying, including the date, time, and any relevant screenshots or messages.
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Social Media: Report content, block and unfriend people. Each social media platform should have guidance on how to do this.
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Mobile: Block numbers sending bullying or abusive messages.
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Contact the appropriate parties: Inform the student's parents or guardians and the school administration of the bullying.
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Create a support system: Connect the student with a school counselor or outside resources for support and counseling.
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Create a plan for addressing future incidents: Create a plan for the student to follow in the event of future bullying incidents, including who to contact and what steps to take.
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Monitor the situation: Check in with the student regularly to ensure that they are safe and that the bullying has stopped
These are just examples and actual safety plans will be tailored to the student's specific needs, and will be reviewed and updated as needed. It is also important to involve the student's family and other professionals as needed, and to ensure that the student understands the plan and feels comfortable with it.
Steps may also vary depending on the specifics of the case and jurisdiction. It would be best to consult with the school administration, school board and/or legal authorities for more specific guidance.
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