Our Approach to Handling Bullying

Firstly, what is Bullying?

Bullying should not be confused with one-off playground teasing or occasional disagreements. While these may be issues to be addressed, they are not the same as bullying.

Bullying behaviour seeks to establish power and has the following common elements:

• Misuse of power where there is an obvious imbalance in the relationship
• It is ongoing and repeated
• The same perpetrator or perpetrators are doing the bullying  

Dealing with Bullying

Bullying is often done covertly so it can be hard to know when a child is being bullied. For that reason, at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School we are proactive in creating an environment where bullying is unacceptable and where students are taught skills to counter any behaviours where they may feel harassed or bullied. 

The steps we take include:

• A confidential well-being survey
• Teaching students what constitutes bullying and what doesn’t 
• Teaching students what to do if they are being harassed or bullied

Students are made aware that they have the ability to deal with bullying behaviour. It is especially important that teachers are informed if a child feels they are being bullied or they are witnessing someone else being bullied.

Further Resources

A website we recommend to parents that has a lot of helpful information about dealing with bullying is www.bullyingnoway.gov.au