The Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation’s (CESE) publication, Anti-bullying interventions in schools – what works (July 2017) identifies face-to-face bullying, covert bullying and online bullying. Covert bullying, also called indirect bullying, is hidden from adults. It can include behaviours such as spreading rumours, excluding, threatening, blackmailing, whispering and stealing friends.
Negative consequences of bullying include feeling unsafe at school, psychological distress, lower levels of academic achievement and lower levels of school attendance. Students who bully others are also more likely to continue to bully others later in life and engage in risk-taking behaviours. Bullying has also been demonstrated to have a negative impact on students who witness bullying as bystanders.
The CESE publication highlights the importance of a whole school approach to successfully reduce bullying behaviours. It states that although bullying is a difficult problem to shift, school-based interventions can be successful in reducing bullying behaviours and that bullying is less likely to occur in a caring, respectful and supportive teaching and learning community.
A holistic approach to reducing bullying behaviours recognises that a positive school environment, which emphasises student wellbeing and reinforces a norm of inclusiveness and diversity, is crucial. Bullying is reduced where the values, norms and practices of the school reflect an ethos of caring and respect for one another and for the school community.
For this reason Ashfield Public School rigorously implements a wellbeing process with ten wellbeing choices. These choices, including Be inclusive and Embrace diversity, are about establishing and maintaining the high expectation for positive interactions and the explicit instruction of self-empowerment and confidence.
Ashfield Public School understands that bullying does occur and takes the matter very seriously. The school’s Anti-bullying plan identifies bullying behaviour as a serious threat to the sustainability of a whole school culture that successfully engages and motivates all students to achieve their best, fully participate in learning, nurture their self-perception and self-esteem, interact socially, develop fulfilling friendships, be happy and perceive the world as a safe and supportive place.
Ashfield Public School is committed to reducing and preventing bullying including supporting students to develop social and emotional competencies, and learn appropriate ways to respond to bullying behaviours. Understanding bullying and how to counter it is about our commitment to giving every child every opportunity within a culture of growth, performance and positive well-being.
