What is bullying?  

Bullying includes a range of abusive behaviour that is repeated and intended to hurt someone either physically or emotionally.  

Find out more about bullying and cyberbullying here: Protecting children from bullying and cyberbullying | NSPCC Learning 

We believe that:  

  • children and young people should never experience abuse of any kind 
  • we have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people, to keep them safe and operate in a way that protects them

We recognise that:  

  • bullying causes real distress and affects a person’s health and development 
  • in some instances, bullying can cause significant harm 
  • all children, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation, have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse 
  • everyone has a role to play in preventing all forms of bullying (including online) and putting a stop to bullying.

We seek to prevent bullying by: 

  • developing a code of behaviour that sets out how everyone involved in our organisation is expected to behave, in face-to-face contact and online, and within and outside of our activities
  • holding regular discussions with staff, volunteers, children, young people and families who use our organisation about bullying and how to prevent it
  • providing support and training for all staff and volunteers on dealing with all forms of bullying, including racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic and sexual bullying
  • putting clear and robust anti-bullying procedures in place. 

Not all instances of unpleasant behaviour are examples of bullying; however, they might be indicators of bullying. Our Anti-Bullying Strategy, separates unpleasant behaviours, and our responses to these into three Stages.
You can view our ‘Anti-Bullying Strategy’ here

Our regular discussions with staff, volunteers, children, young people and families will focus on: 

  • group members’ responsibilities to look after one another and uphold the behaviour code
  • practising skills such as listening to each other
  • respecting the fact that we are all different
  • making sure that no one is without friends
  • dealing with problems in a positive way
  • checking that our anti-bullying measures are working well

Responding to bullying

We will make sure our response to incidents of bullying takes into account: 

  • the needs of the person being bullied 
  • the needs of the person displaying bullying behaviour
  • needs of any bystanders
  • our organisation as a whole

We will review the plan we have developed to address any incidents of bullying at regular intervals, in order to ensure that the problem has been resolved in the long term. 

More information about responding effectively to bullying is available about  

Diversity and inclusion

We recognise that bullying is closely related to how we respect and recognise the value of diversity.  

We will be proactive about:  

  • seeking opportunities to learn about and celebrate difference 
  • increasing diversity within our staff, volunteers, children and young people 
  • welcoming new members to our organisation. 

You can find out more about the following by clicking on the following NSPCC links: 

Further help and advice

If you need help or advice about bullying there are helplines and websites that can provide you with information and support: 

  • ChildLine: ChildLine is the UK’s free, confidential helpline for children and young people. They offer advice and support, by phone and online, 24 hours a day. Whenever and wherever you need them, they’ll be there. Call 0800 1111. They have a designated page for bullying issues that includes a new video about building up your confidence after bullying. 

 

  • Direct Gov: Information for young people on cyberbullying, bullying on social networks, Internet and email bullying, bullying on mobile phones, bullying at school, what to do about bullying, and information and advice for people who are bullying others and want to stop. 

 

  • EACH : EACH has a freephone Helpline for children experiencing homophobic, biphobic or transphobic bullying or harassment: 0808 1000 143. It’s open Monday to Friday 10am-5pm. 

 

  • Victim Support: They offer support to young people affected by crime. Their Children and Young People’s (CYP) Service also deals with cases of bullying; offering advice and working with professionals to ensure young people get the support they need. You can call their Supportline for free on 08 08 16 89 111.