No to Bullying!
Nobody has the right to hurt others by hitting them, kicking them, calling them names, spreading rumours about them or by doing anything else which is intended to upset them.
Bullies pick on people for all kinds of reasons. Bullies try to justify their actions by saying that it is their victim’s fault for being different. There is no such thing as a typical victim, a bully may pick on someone for any reason, including race, religion, sexuality or disability……Any excuse will do.
You must tell someone straight away if you are being bullied. Friends, teachers and parents can all help. Bullies can be cunning and are good at getting away with it. They will make you believe that telling someone will make things worse. This is not true.
If you think or know a friend or classmate is being bullied, encourage them to tell someone. Either their parents, their Pupil Support Teacher or another adult they trust If they find this difficult you could speak to a responsible adult on their behalf.
We treat all alleged bullying incidents at Turnbull very seriously. We have effective systems in place to deal with these incidents in a sensitive and non threatening manner. Information will be gathered by speaking with everyone involved in the incident. Support is offered, in a variety of ways to both the alleged victim and bully. Communication with parents at this stage is vital and we actively encourage parental involvement throughout the investigation by supporting their child. We understand bullying incidents can be very upsetting for all pupils and parents involved, and therefore we work quickly and efficiently to resolve the situation.
You must speak out—bullies rely on their victims remaining silent. Telling parents or teachers about what’s happening is not telling tales—you have the right to be safe and happy at Turnbull High. By speaking out you may be helping other victims too. Try to ignore the bullies and pretend they aren’t winding you up. If they don’t see you reacting, they may give up. Ask you friends and classmates to stick up for you. If you stick together the bullies lose their power. Keep a record of what’s happening.
Don’t try and deal with the situation on your own. Don’t come down to a bullies level by joining in fights and slanging matches—you might end up being accused of bullying yourself. Always tell the truth about the situation you are in. Don’t hide what is happening to you from your pupil support teacher. Don’t bottle your feelings up. Speak to your friends about how you feel. Your friends will help support you and cheer you up.
We take a whole school approach to try to prevent bullying. This means we have a clear, written anti-bullying policy in school. We discuss and explore the issue of bullying in our curriculum e.g. PSE/RE. All pupils in our community know that bullying is never tolerated in our school and that everyone has a role to play in working to prevent it. Pupils are encouraged to share their worries with friends, teachers or parents and to report their concerns to the Pupil Support Team or any other school teacher.
Turnbull High School aspires to be a community of faith, where pupils are actively involved and engaged in their own learning. We invite all our school community to live out the values in the Gospel in our daily lives and in the way we treat others. As a community of faith we are committed to ensuring all pupils feel safe, happy and affirmed.
If you feel you may have a problem with bullying—either as a victim or bully, many people can help you. Don’t feel you have to cope alone. Other support agencies are there for you too –
Childline - 0800 1111 (free)
Kidscape – 0207 730 3300
