Bí Cinéalta Policy

Scoil Nioclais Naofa,

Dunlavin,

Co Wicklow.

045 40149

snndunlavin@gmail.com

www.snndunlavin.com

RCN: 20139117

School Bí Cineálta Policy to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour

The Board of Management of Scoil Niocláis Naofa has adopted the following policy to prevent and address bullying behaviour.

This policy fully complies with the requirements of Bí Cinéalta Procedures to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour for Primary and Post-Primary Schools 2024.

The Board of Management acknowledges that bullying behaviour interferes with the rights of the child as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. We all, as a school community, have a responsibility to work together to prevent and address bullying behaviour and to deal with the negative impact of bullying behaviour.

We are committed to ensuring that all students who attend our school are kept safe from harm and that the wellbeing of our students is at the forefront of everything that we do. We recognise the negative impact that bullying behaviour can have on the lives of our students and we are fully committed to preventing and addressing bullying behaviour.

We confirm that we will, in accordance with our obligations under equality legislation, take all such steps that are reasonably practicable to prevent the harassment of students or staff on any of the nine grounds specified: gender, civil status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race and membership of the Travelling Community.

Definition of Bullying

• Bullying is defined in Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying and Bí Cineálta: Procedures to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour for Primary and Post Primary Schools as targeted behaviour, online or offline that causes harm.
• The harm caused can be physical, social and/or emotional in nature.
• Bullying behaviour is repeated over time and involves an imbalance of power in relationships between two people or groups of people in society.
• It is behaviour which is deliberate in nature and is unwanted. It is not accidental or reckless behaviour.

The harm can be :

1. Physical (e.g. personal injury, damage to or loss of property)
2. Social (e.g. withdrawl, loneliness, exclusion)
3. Emotional (e.g. low self esteem, depression, anxiety)

• A one-off instance of negative behaviour towards a student is not bullying behaviour. However a single hurtful message posted on social media can be considered bullying behaviour as it may be visible to a wide audience and has a high likelihood of being shared multiple times and so becomes a repeated behaviour.

Behaviour that is not bullying behaviour:

1. If the repeated harm is real for the student experiencing the behaviour, but unintended by the other student, this is not bullying, but, importantly must be addressed under the school’s code of behaviour.
2. Some students with special educational needs, may have social communication difficulties which may make them communicate their needs through behaviours that can hurt themselves or others. It is important to note that these behaviours are not deliberate or planned, but in certain situations, they are automatic responses which they cannot control.
3. Disagreement between students is not considered bullying unless it involves deliberate and repeated attempts to cause distress, exclude or create dislike by others.

• The detailed definition is provided in Chapter 2 of the Bí Cineálta procedures.

Each school is required to develop and implement a Bí Cineálta policy that sets out how the school community prevents and addresses bullying behaviour. Strategies to deal with inappropriate behaviour that is not bullying behaviour are provided for within the schools Code of Behaviour.

Types of Bullying:

There are many different types of bullying behaviour. These can include directing bullying at someone focused on the following: disability, exceptional ability, gender identity, LGBTQ+, physical appearance, racism, poverty status, religious identity, sexism and sexual harassment. This is not an exhaustive list.

Bullying can be: Direct

• Physical: pushing, shoving, punching, kicking, poking and tripping students. Physical assault. Destruction of Personal Property.
• Verbal: continual name calling which insults, humiliates the student…this may refer to physical appearance, size, clothes, gender, accent, academic ability, race or ethnic origin.
• Written: Writing insulting remarks in public places, passing notes or drawings about the student.
• Extortion: where something is obtained through force or threats.

Bullying can be: Indirect

• Exclusion: where a student is deliberately and repeatedly isolated, excluded or ignored by a student or group of students.
• Relational: Where a student’s attempts to form friendships with peers are repeatedly rejected or undermined, threats, non-verbal gesturing, malicious gossip, spreading rumours, silent treatment and manipulation of friend groups etc. can all form relational bullying for a student.

Online Bullying Behaviour

Cyber bullying is carried out via text, direct messaging/instant messaging, social media platforms, e-mail, apps, digital gaming sites, gaming consoles, chatrooms and other online technologies.

This can include:

• Sending or sharing of insulting and offensive or intimidating messages or images via online means as mentioned above.
• Posting information which is personal, private or sensitive without consent.
• Making and/or participating in fake profiles on a social network to impersonate and/or humiliate other students.
• Exclude/disrupt access to a student on purpose on online chat groups/access to accounts/from an online game.

Development/Review of our Bí Cinéalta Policy to prevent and address Bullying Behaviour

All members of our school community were provided with the opportunity to input into the development/review of this Policy.

Preventing Bullying Behaviour

Addressing Bullying Behaviour

The teacher(s) with responsibility for addressing bullying behaviour is as follows:

• The class teacher will oversee recording of bullying reports for students in their class- this includes using the procedures guidelines to investigate reports of bullying and recording bullying behaviour on the correct form on Aladdin.
• The DDLP will follow up after 20 days to investigate if bullying has ceased.
• All staff will be vigilant to bullying behaviour.
• Principal will inform Board of Management of incidences of bullying.
• Deputy Principal/SENCO

When bullying behaviour occurs, the school will:

• Ensure that the student experiencing bullying behaviour is heard and reassured
• Seek to ensure the privacy of those involved
• Conduct all conversations with sensitivity
• Consider the age and ability of those involved
• Listen to the views of the student who is experiencing the bullying behaviour as to how best to address the situation
• Take action in a timely manner
• Inform parents of those involved

The steps that will be taken by the school to determine if bullying behaviour has occurred, the approaches taken to address the bullying behaviour and to review progress are as follows:

• The primary aim for the relevant teacher in investigating and dealing with bullying is to resolve any issues and to restore, as far as is practicable, the relationships of the parties involved (rather than to apportion blame);
• In investigating and dealing with bullying, the teacher will exercise his/her professional judgement to determine whether bullying has occurred and how best the situation might be resolved;
• All reports, including anonymous reports of bullying must be investigated and dealt with by the relevant teacher. In that way pupils will gain confidence in ‘telling’. This confidence factor is of vital importance. It should be made clear to all pupils that when they report incidents of bullying they are not considered to be telling tales but are behaving responsibly;
• Non-teaching staff such as secretaries, special needs assistants (SNAs), bus escorts, caretakers, cleaners will be encouraged to report any incidents of bullying behaviour witnessed by them, or mentioned to them, to the relevant teacher;
• Parents and pupils are required to co-operate with any investigation and assist the school in resolving any issues and restoring, as far as is practicable, the relationships of the parties involved as quickly as possible;
• It is very important that all involved (including each set of pupils and parents) understand the above approach from the outset;
• Teachers should take a calm, unemotional problem-solving approach when dealing with incidents of alleged bullying behaviour reported by pupils, staff or parents;
• Incidents are generally best investigated outside the classroom situation to ensure the privacy of all involved;

All interviews should be conducted with sensitivity and with due regard to the rights of all pupils concerned. Pupils who are not directly involved can also provide very useful information in this way;

• When analysing incidents of bullying behaviour, the relevant teacher should seek answers to questions of what, where, when, who and why. This should be done in a calm manner, setting an example in dealing effectively with a conflict in a non-aggressive manner;
• If a group is involved, each member should be interviewed individually at first. Thereafter, all those involved should be met as a group. At the group meeting, each member should be asked for his/her account of what happened to ensure that everyone in the group is clear about each other’s statements;
• Each member of a group should be supported through the possible pressures that they may face them from the other members of the group after interview by the teacher;
• It may also be appropriate or helpful to ask those involved to write down their account of the incident(s);
• In cases where it has been determined by the relevant teacher that bullying behaviour has occurred, the parents of the parties involved will be contacted at an early stage to inform them of the matter and explain the actions being taken (by reference to the school policy). The school will give parents an opportunity of discussing ways in which they can reinforce or support the actions being taken by the school and the supports for their pupils;
• Where the relevant teacher has determined that a pupil has been engaged in bullying behaviour, it will be made clear to him/her how he/she is in breach of the school’s anti-bullying policy and efforts should be made to try to get him/her to see the situation from the perspective of the pupil being bullied;
• It must also be made clear to all involved (each set of pupils and parents) that in any situation where disciplinary sanctions are required, this is a private matter between the pupil being disciplined, his or her parents and the school;
• Follow-up meetings with the relevant parties involved should be arranged separately with a view to possibly bringing them together at a later date if the pupil who has been bullied is ready and agreeable. This can have a therapeutic effect;
• In cases where the relevant teacher considers that the bullying behaviour has not been adequately and appropriately addressed within 20 school days after he/she has determined that bullying behaviour has occurred, it must be recorded by the relevant teacher on Aladdin
• In determining whether a bullying case has been adequately and appropriately addressed the relevant teacher must, as part of his/her professional judgement, take the following factors into account:
• Whether the bullying behaviour has ceased;
• Whether any issues between the parties have been resolved as far as is practicable;
• Whether the relationships between the parties have been restored as far as is practicable; and
• Any feedback received from the parties involved, their parents or the school Principal or Deputy Principal;
• Where a parent is not satisfied that the school has dealt with a bullying case in accordance with these procedures, the parents must be referred, as appropriate, to the school’s complaints procedures;
• In the event that a parent has exhausted the school's complaints procedures and is still not satisfied, the school must advise the parents of their right to make a complaint to the Ombudsman for Children.

The school will use the following approaches to support those who experience, witness and display bullying behaviour

The school’s programme of support for working with pupils affected by bullying involves a whole school approach. Given the complexity of bullying behaviour, no one intervention/support programme works in all situations.

Supporting Bullied Pupils

• Ending the bullying behaviour
• Fostering respect for bullied pupils and all pupils
• Fostering greater empathy towards and support for bullied pupils
• Indicating clearly that the bullying is not the fault of the targeted pupil through annual awareness-raising programmes.
• Indicating clearly that the bullying is not the fault of the targeted pupil through the speedy identification of those responsible and speedy resolution of bullying situations
• Making adequate counselling facilities available to pupils who need it in a timely manner (subject to available funding)
• Helping bullied pupils raise their self-esteem by encouraging them to become involved in activities that help develop friendships and social skills (e.g. participation in group work in class and in extra -curricular group or team activities during or after school).

Supporting Bullying Pupils

• Making it clear that bullying pupils who reform get a clean sheet once the incidence is resolved.
• Making it clear that bullying pupils who reform are doing the right and honourable thing and giving them praise for this.
• Making adequate counselling facilities available to those who need it to allow them to learn other ways of meeting their needs besides violating the rights of others.
• Helping those who need to raise self-esteem by encouraging them to become involved in activities that develop friendships and social skills (e.g. participation in group work in class and in extra-curricular group or team activities during or after school)
• Using learning strategies throughout the school and the curriculum to help enhance pupils’ feelings of self-worth.
• In dealing with negative behaviour in general, encouraging teachers and parents to focus on, challenge and correct the behaviour while supporting the child.
• In dealing with bullying behaviour seeking resolution and offering a fresh start with a ‘clean sheet’ and no blame in return for keeping a promise to reform.

Oversight

The principal will present an update on bullying behaviour at each Board of Management meeting. This update will include the number of bullying incidents that have been reported since the last meeting, the number of ongoing incidents and the total number of incidents since the beginning of the school year. Where incidents of bullying behaviour have occurred, the principal will also supply a verbal update which will include where relevant, information relating to trends and patterns identified, strategies used to address the bullying behaviour and the wider strategies to prevent and address bullying behaviour where relevant. This update does not contain personal or identifying information. See chapter 7 of the Bí Cinéalta procedures.

This policy is available to our school community on the school’s website and in hard copy on request. A student friendly version of this policy is displayed in the school and is also available on our website and in hard copy on request.

This policy and its implementation will be reviewed, following input from the school community, each calendar year or as soon as practicable after there has been a material change in any matter to which this policy refers.

Signed: ___________________________________ Date: ________________

(Chairperson of Board of Management)

Signed: __________________________________ Date: _________________

(Principal)