Anti-Bullying

ALNS is dedicated to ‘standing up to bullying’.
 
We have committed ourselves to making a difference and are consistently striving to put an end to bullying. We have undergone training by the Diana Award Anti Bullying Campaign and have now trained 60 students to be Anti Bullying Ambassadors.

The links below are from the Diana Award and are to help, advise and educate parents, our young people, and our staff. Our vision is to continue growing our Anti Bullying Campaign and ensuring it is embedded into our school community. 

You have a right to feel safe within your community and the right to feel safe from bullying.

Types of Bullying

  • Physical bullying is the most obvious form of bullying. It occurs when the bullies use physical actions to gain power and control over their targets.
  • Physical bullies tend to be bigger, stronger, and more aggressive than their peers.
  • Examples of physical bullying include kicking, hitting, punching, slapping, shoving, and other physical attacks.
  • Perpetrators of verbal bullying use words, statements, and name-calling to gain power and control over a target. Typically, verbal bullies will use relentless insults to belittle, demean, and hurt another person. They choose their targets based on the way they look, act, or behave.
  • Verbal bullying is just as hurtful and damaging as physical bullying.
  • Research has shown that verbal bullying and name-calling has serious consequences and can leave deep emotional scars.

Social bullying, sometimes referred to as covert bullying, is often harder to recognize and can be carried out behind the bullied person’s back. It is designed to harm someone’s social reputation and/or cause humiliation. Social bullying includes:

  • lying and spreading rumours
  • negative facial or physical gestures, menacing or contemptuous looks
  • playing nasty jokes to embarrass and humiliate
  • mimicking unkindly
  • encouraging others to socially exclude someone
  • damaging someone’s social reputation or social acceptance.
  • When a person uses the Internet, a smartphone, or other technology to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another person, this is called cyberbullying. If an adult is involved in the harassment this is called cyber-harassment or cyberstalking.
  • Examples of cyberbullying include posting hurtful images, making online threats, and sending hurtful emails or texts. Because most people are always “plugged in,” cyberbullying is a growing issue among young people. It’s also becoming more widespread because bullies can harass their targets with much less risk of being caught.
  • Cyberbullies often say things that they do not have the courage to say face-to-face. Technology makes them feel anonymous, insulated and detached from the situation. Consequently, online bullying is often mean and cruel.
  • To the targets of cyberbullying, it feels invasive and never-ending. Bullies can get to them anytime and anywhere, often in the safety of their own homes. As a result, the consequences of cyberbullying are significant.
  • Prejudicial bullying is based on prejudices people have toward people of different races, religions, or sexual orientation. This type of bullying can encompass all the other types of bullying including cyberbullying, verbal bullying, relational bullying and physical bullying.
  • When prejudicial bullying occurs, kids are targeting others who are different from them and singling them out.
  • Oftentimes, this type of bullying is severe and can open the door to hate crimes. Any time a child is bullied for his sexual orientation, race, or religion, it should be reported.
  • Over two in five gay pupils who experience homophobic bullying attempt or think about taking their own life as a direct consequence (5).
  • Three in five young people say that bullying has a direct impact on their school work and straight-A students have told us it makes them want to leave education entirely (5).
  • More than half (55 per cent) of lesbian, gay and bisexual young people experience homophobic bullying in Britain’s schools (5).
  • Ninety six per cent of gay pupils hear homophobic remarks such as ‘poof’ or ‘lezza’ used in school. Almost all (99 per cent) hear phrases such as ‘that’s so gay’ or ‘you’re so gay’ in school (5).

Useful Downloads:

Parents Guide to Anti-Bullying

Explore Identity Online For Young People

It’s Ok Not To Be Ok Poster

Screentime

Social Media Terms and Conditions

Spot Fake News

Top Tips for Anti-Bullying Ambassadors

Bullying is among one of the top concerns that parents have about your safety and wellbeing and can be a significant issue. Unfortunately you are at greater risk of being bullied if you have a disability or special education need and if you are, or are perceived to be, lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

Bullying can makes lives a misery; it can undermine your confidence and self-esteem and can destroy your sense of security.

Bullying can impact on attendance and attainment at school and can have a life-long impact on your life if you let it.

The anti-bullying message is widely advertised in assemblies to develop a culture of zero tolerance and non-acceptance of bullying behaviours.

Every year the School Prefect team take a lead through the School Council around raising awareness of bullying and the issues it can have. Anti-bullying week is given a high profile through half school and year assemblies, Aspiring Futures lessons, Personal Development days and tutor time activities.

These pages aim to provide useful links to support victims and their parents.

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