As a new school with fresh foundations, we strive to create a climate where everyone is valued, respected and appreciated. By creating a positive climate of camaraderie, we hope to avoid any issues with bullying or cyber bullying.
However, it must be said that at the MET, bullying is not tolerated. We have therefore developed a policy statement to help us prevent incidents of bullying / cyber bullying and to guide the community in the event of such occurrences.
This policy statement includes the following components:
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The aims and objectives of the school in relation to bullying and Cyber bullying.
A clear definition of what behavior is considered to be bullying within the school.
A clear definition of what behavior is considered to be cyber bullying within the school.
A description of how bullying / cyber bullying is to be prevented.
Procedures for staff, pupils, parents and Board members who become aware of bullying / cyber bullying situations.
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The MET’s response to cases of bullying / cyber bullying
The MET’s response to cases of cyber bullying
Working with the bully and applying sanctions 8.
9.
Message to students
10.
Message to parents and staff
1.
The aim of the school is to prevent all forms of bullying / cyber bullying so that all students can live and work in a happy environment that is free from extraneous stresses.
2.
Bullying may include: a.
Direct physical abuse b.
Intimidation through the threat of physical abuse c.
Actual or attempted extortion with or without menaces d.
Theft or damage of personal property e.
Name-calling, rumor-mongering and other verbal abuse f.
Social exclusion or ostracism
3.
Cyber Bullying
The school recognizes and supports the fact that technology plays an important and positive role in children’s lives, both educationally and socially. It is committed to helping all members of the school community to understand both the benefits and the risks, and to equip students with the knowledge and skills to be able to use technology safely and responsibly.
Edificio #104, Ave. Vicente Bonilla , Ciudad del Saber, Clay ton, Panamá www.themetropolitanschool.com

Cyber bullying includes, but is not limited to, the following misuses of technology: harassing, teasing, intimidating, threatening or terrorizing another student or staff member by way of any technological tool, such as sending or posting inappropriate or derogatory email messages, instant messages, cellular phone text messages (including BlackBerry Messenger), digital pictures or images, or website postings (including blogs and social networks, e.g. Facebook,
MySpace) which has the effect of: a.
Physically, emotionally or mentally harming a student; b.
Placing a student in reasonable fear of physical, emotional or mental harm; c.
Placing a student in reasonable fear of damage to or loss of personal property; or d.
Creating an intimidating or hostile environment that substantially interferes with a student’s educational opportunities.
Cyber bullying can be used to carry out many of the different types of bullying; an extension of face-to-face bullying. However, unlike ‘traditional’ forms of bullying it can have a greater impact because:
 it can also go further, in that it can invade home/personal space and can involve a greater number of people;
 of the anonymity of the bully;
 it can take place across age groups and school staff and other adults can be targeted;
 the ability to broadcast upsetting messages and images rapidly to a potentially huge audience and to continue to do so repeatedly over a long period of time;
 it can draw by-standers into being accessories.
4.
Measures to prevent bullying / cyber bullying at the MET include: a.
Generating an awareness and openness about the problem with the students through the
PSHE (Personal, Social, Health Education) program, assemblies, school anti-bullying campaigns and general briefings with the following aims:- i.
Educating students about the problem ii.
Introducing them to the school’s policy iii.
Challenging ‘traditional’ attitudes to bullying iv.
Teaching students how to respond to bullying / cyber bullying constructively v.
Training in assertiveness vi.
Teaching students how to support peers who are being bullied / cyber bullied vii.
Facilitating an anti-bullying ethos in the school
Edificio #104, Ave. Vicente Bonilla , Ciudad del Saber, Clay ton, Panamá www.themetropolitanschool.com

b.
Generating awareness among members of staff such that their own behavior in preventing and combating bullying / cyber bullying is proactive and positive:
 If students see bullying behavior being used by staff in order to maintain discipline then they will automatically assume it is acceptable.
 All staff must take reports of bullying / cyber bullying seriously even if the events seem unclear. To ignore a report of bullying / cyber bullying is to condone it.
 Students should be listened to carefully by all staff and allowed to have their say in a relaxed, stress-free situation. Decisions with regard to where and when students may want to discuss their experiences, and who might be an appropriate listener/counselor, must be taken carefully.
 Students will only report problems if they see staff taking them seriously. Complaints should not be prejudged.
 It is important to build up a good rapport between staff and students such that students feel comfortable discussing problems. c.
Generating awareness among senior students and gaining their support. They are in much closer contact with the students than the staff. d.
Parents will be provided with information and advice on bullying / cyber bullying via literature, talks, workshops, etc. e.
Students, staff and parents will be involved in the process of updating and improving policies and procedures through the Student Council, staff meetings and the PTA. f.
Ensuring regular review and update of existing policies. g.
Keeping good records of all bullying / cyber bullying incidents. h.
Publicizing rules and sanctions effectively. i.
Making positive use of technology across the curriculum (cyber bullying). j.
Using school professional development opportunities to help staff develop their practice creatively and support students in safe and responsible use of technology (cyber bullying).
Edificio #104, Ave. Vicente Bonilla , Ciudad del Saber, Clay ton, Panamá www.themetropolitanschool.com

k.
Exploring ways of using technology to support assertiveness, self-esteem and to develop friendships (cyber bullying). l.
Ensuring all staff and children understand the importance of password security and the need to log out of accounts (cyber bullying). m.
Ensuring staff can recognize non-verbal signs and indications of bullying / cyber bullying. n.
Publicizing and promoting the message that asking for help is the right thing to do and shows strength and good judgment. o.
Publicizing to all members of the school community the ways in which bullying / cyber bullying can be reported. p.
Providing information for ‘bystanders’ including reassurances about protection from becoming victims themselves. q.
Using filters to block or filter internet sites or internet access to texts and visual depictions that are inappropriate and harmful to minors (cyber bullying). r.
Supervising and monitoring of students’ online activity. Reasonable precautions against cyber bullying will include supervision of students while they are using the MET’s online services. Classroom teachers, computer lab teachers, library/media teachers or other staff overseeing student use of the school’s online services should understand their responsibility to closely supervise students’ online activities (cyber bullying). s.
Involving parents of all parties if initial intervention by staff does not work.
5.
Students, their parents/guardians, as well as staff are encouraged to report immediately
all incidents of bullying or suspected bullying / cyber bullying to appropriate members of the pastoral team who must take action and keep a full record of the incident and any investigations.
Edificio #104, Ave. Vicente Bonilla , Ciudad del Saber, Clay ton, Panamá www.themetropolitanschool.com

6.
The MET’s response to cases of bullying / cyber bullying: if an accusation of bullying / cyber bullying is made to a member of staff there are some actions which will always follow and some actions which may well follow:-
The following actions will take place:
 Details of the accusation will be recorded at the time, or as soon as possible after the information is received.
 Some action will follow which might include close monitoring for a specified period through the teaching staff.
 If there is a reasonable belief that the accusation has substance, the school will inform the parents of the parties concerned.
 Counseling and supporting students who have been bullied as well as reassuring them that they have done the right thing in telling. Extended bullying / cyber bullying often leads to a damaging loss of self-confidence and the bullied students might require help to rebuild their self-esteem.
The following actions may take place following consultation with the Headmaster.
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Parents of all involved parties to be informed.
Consultation with medical staff.
Consultation with any listener/confidant/counselor nominated by the victim.
Separation or distancing of individuals from one another.
Gathering and recording further information and evidence from students, staff and any other witnesses.
The following responses may be considered:
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Case conference with Headmaster and parents present.
Imposition of appropriate disciplinary sanctions, including exclusion for fixed periods or permanently.
Student contract with strict conditions concerning personal behavior to be agreed with parents, students and school.
Development of a strategy for the support of students ‘at risk’ and, if appropriate, students who are involved in bullying others.
Continued bullying or harassment may result in the offender being withdrawn from classes until a written Plan of Action is signed by both the Headmaster and the parents and agreed and implemented.
Edificio #104, Ave. Vicente Bonilla , Ciudad del Saber, Clay ton, Panamá www.themetropolitanschool.com

7.
The MET’s response to cases of cyber bullying:
Most cases of cyber bullying will be dealt with through the above policy and the MET’s Behavior
Policy. Some features of cyber bullying differ from other forms of bullying and may prompt a particular response. The key differences are:
 impact: the scale and scope of cyber bullying can be greater than other forms of bullying
 targets and perpetrators: the people involved may have a different profile to traditional bullies and their targets
 location: the 24/7 and ‘anywhere’ nature of cyber bullying
 anonymity: the person being bullied will not always know who is bullying them
 motivation: some students may not be aware that what they are doing is bullying
 evidence: unlike other forms of bullying, the target of the bullying will have evidence of its occurrence
The following actions will take place:
 If hurtful or embarrassing content is being distributed via the school server, we will get it removed from the web.
 If the person who posted it is known, the school will ensure they understand why it is wrong and ask them to remove it. Alternatively, we will contact the host provider and make a report to get the content taken down.
 If sent via a cellular phone, the school will confiscate the phone, ask the student to delete the offending content and say who they have sent it on to.
 The school investigation will include efforts to identify the individual who is harassing the student. There may be a way to track him or her through the Internet service provider, even if the individual is using a fake name or someone else’s identity.
8.
Working with the bully and applying sanctions
The aim of the sanctions will be:
 to help the person harmed to feel safe again and be assured that the bullying / cyber bullying will stop;
 to hold the perpetrator to account, getting them to recognize the harm caused and deter them from repeating the behavior;
 to demonstrate to the school community that bullying / cyber bullying is unacceptable and that the school has effective ways of dealing with it, so deterring others from behaving similarly.
Edificio #104, Ave. Vicente Bonilla , Ciudad del Saber, Clay ton, Panamá www.themetropolitanschool.com

In applying sanctions, consideration will be given to the type and impact of bullying / cyber bullying and the possibility that it was unintentional or was in retaliation. The outcome will be restorative and include helping the bully to recognize the consequence of their actions and providing support to enable the attitude and behavior of the bully to change.
The MET emphasizes that we have a zero tolerance to all forms of bullying and, to the extent that such actions are disruptive of the educational process of the school, offenders shall be subject to appropriate staff intervention, which may result in administrative discipline.
No member of our future school community needs to accept from others behavior that s/he finds offensive. To all our future students, including the very youngest, we explain appropriate behavior in these terms:
If someone else finds your behavior offensive then what you are doing is against the Code of
Conduct because it is not showing respect for the feelings and rights of others. In this case you should stop the offending behavior at once.
If you are uncomfortable with the behavior of others – student or adult – towards you, or you find their behavior offensive, it is likely that there is something wrong with their behavior towards you.
If you feel uncomfortable because of the behavior of another, you are advised to proceed with the following steps:
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Tell the person that you feel uncomfortable and ask him/her to stop it
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If the behavior continues, tell your teacher or another adult in school
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All such complaints will be taken seriously and listened to
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If someone is calling you names or making hurtful comments try to ignore them – walk away
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Do not retaliate by calling them names or hitting them – this will make matters worse and possibly get you in trouble instead. Tell your teacher. The bully should be the one who gets into trouble
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The teacher will talk to the offender and decide on a Plan of Action
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Your complaint and a Plan of Action will be written down and filed
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If the bad behavior continues after action has been taken by the school, you must tell your teacher or another adult immediately the incident occurs, or as soon as possible afterwards
Edificio #104, Ave. Vicente Bonilla , Ciudad del Saber, Clay ton, Panamá www.themetropolitanschool.com

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You must report every instance of continued bullying or harassment – not reporting will make the situation worse
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Remember: it is not your fault – you are not to blame. Bullies have no right to make you unhappy.
If you feel uncomfortable because of electronic information about you such as via email messages, instant messages, cellular phone text messages (including BlackBerry Messenger), digital pictures or images, or website postings (including blogs and social networks, e.g.
Facebook, MySpace), you are advised to:
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Follow the same process above.
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Do not respond in a derogatory manner to the cyber bully and save and print out the messages (with full e-mail headers), save phone messages, record or save-and-print instant messenger conversations, print or produce a screen-grab of social network pages, print, save and forward to staff whole email messages or pictures as evidence rather than deleting them
 In some cases, you may be able to block the person bullying from your sites and services.
The MET views any form of verbal, electronic or physical harassment very seriously, including any form of sexual, racist, abusive or insulting remarks. Action will always be taken against offenders.
You can help by:
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Looking out for signs of distress – reluctance to go to school – headaches – loss of personal property – asking for extra pocket money
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Letting us know as soon as you have firm suspicions
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Taking an active interest in your child’s social life and friendships
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Discussing what happens during breaks and the journeys to and from school
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Contacting your child’s teacher if you are worried
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Trying to help your child recruit friends to make bullying less likely
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Informing the school if your child is coming home with other students’ property – money from unidentified sources
 Understanding that bullies also need to be understood and appropriate action taken to help them conform to the Code of Conduct
Edificio #104, Ave. Vicente Bonilla , Ciudad del Saber, Clay ton, Panamá www.themetropolitanschool.com

If your child is being bullied, please do not encourage him/her to hit back; it will make matters worse. Staff at school will offer support – IF they know of your concerns. Teachers, Principals and the Headmaster are willing to listen.
Policy written December 2010
Reviewed and updated April 2012
Edificio #104, Ave. Vicente Bonilla , Ciudad del Saber, Clay ton, Panamá www.themetropolitanschool.com