St Joseph’s School Wyndham.
POLICY STATEMENT
May 2005 due for revision 2007.
ST JOSEPH'S WYNDHAM SCHOOL BASED POLICY
DEALING WITH BULLYING AND
HARASSMENT OF STUDENTS.
SCHOOL MOTO:
WE ARE ONE
SCHOOL VISION
We at St Joseph’s, are a welcoming and supportive Catholic School
Community. We recognise, respect and nuture the gifts of each of
us. We are committed to providing quality education, which
develops the whole person.
SCHOOL MISSION
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Create and foster hope, acceptance, reconciliation, respect
and equality.
Demonstate our support through open communication, pastoral
care and service to all.
Welcome and encourage participation in School and Parish life.
Provide an education that reflects our Catholic Identity.
Bare witness to Jesus’ message by the way we live and relate
to each other.
Ensure that the needs of the whole person are met –
spiritually, socially, emotionally, academically and
physically.
Provide a challenging, innovative and comprehensive curriculum
that promotes a respect of learning and a positive view of
self as a life long learner.
ST JOSEPH’S SCHOOL PRAYER.
GOD OUR FATHER
WE THANKYOU FOR ST JOSEPH’S SCHOOL AND FOR ALL WHO MAKE IT A
SPECIAL PLACE.
BLESS THE CHILDREN WHO ARE GROWING IN THE LOVE OF JESUS.
BLESS OUR PARENTS AND TEACHERS WHO HELP US TO LOVE AND CARE FOR
OTHERS AND HELP US TO LEARN.
WE REMEMBER WITH THANKS THE JOSEPHITE SISTERS AND OTHER SISTERS
AND OTHER SISTERS WHO HAVE WORKED IN OUR SCHOOL.
WE PRAY FOR OUR PARISH OF OUR QUEEN OF APOSTLES AND OUR TOWN OF
WYNDHAM.
MAY OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY ALWAYS BE A PLACE OF LOVE, PEACE,
LEARNING AND LAUGHTER.
AMEN
PREAMBLE
Catholic schools have a responsibility to provide an educational environment that promotes the
dignity and respect of the person and, therefore, aims to eliminate bullying and harassment in all
forms.
Learning outcomes, physical health, emotional, psychological and spiritual well being can be
adversely affected by bullying and harassment.
St Joseph's regards the following as a definition of bullying :
Bullying involves:
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a desire to hurt through hitting,kickingpinching…swearing and name calling
hurtful behaviour (physical, verbal or relational)
an imbalance of power through such as friendship groups
an unjust use of power causing people to do things they might not want to do such as
stealing or lying
typically repetition
" harassment is any unwanted, unwelcome or uninvited behaviour which makes a person
feel humiliated, intimidated or offended. (Adapted from CEO Policy, Harassment in
School, 1998). Harassment can be seen as one form of bullying.
The terms are often used interchangeably.
Bullying can be characterized as:
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Repetitive, causing distress, not only at the time of the attack but also by the threat of
future attacks
Its nature may be:
* Verbal - name-calling, put-downs, threats (spoken, written or electronic)
* Physical - hitting, tripping, punching, throwing objects, stealing
* Social - ignoring, hiding, ostracizing
* Psychological - stalking, threatening looks, spreading rumours, damaging possessions
(MindMatters 2000).
St Joseph's adheres to the following principles and procedures
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PRINCIPLES
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Catholic schools owe a duty of care to their students.
Catholic schools provide supportive environments, which promote respect for self and
others, physical/emotional well being and positive mental health.
Dealing with bullying and harassment requires a whole school approach within the
school's Pastoral Care Framework.
When bullying and harassment are ignored or overlooked, it serves to condone and
reinforce the behaviour.
PROCEDURES
St Joseph's will adopt strategies and responses from a variety of sources to address:
* the development of supportive environments and relationships, the promotion of tolerance
and the acceptance of difference
* the resolution of bully/victim problems
* the support and restoration to well-being of children who have been hurt by abusive
behaviour by their peers
* the amelioration of the behaviour and attitudes of students who bully
* the pro-active engagement of bystanders to discourage bullying behaviour
* the broader needs of the school community
* the prevailing attitudes within the school including the 'culture' of the school.
* school support system that promotes positive mental health
* teaching and learning programs to support the strategies
* reporting and recording procedures to be used when investigating incidents
* a case management model to be used when bullying and harassment behaviours persist
* a statement on appropriate confidentiality.
* St Joseph's shall provide professional development to meet the needs of their staff in
implementing the school policy.
* The policy shall be monitored and have regular review.
This policy is supported by the School
Discipline Policy and the Positive Playground
Policy.