Anti-bullying policy

North Oxfordshire Academy will actively address bullying and take measures to stop it. 

1. What is bullying?
1.1 Bullying is defined as deliberately hurtful behaviour, repeated over a period of time, where it is difficult for those being bullied to defend themselves.

2. What does bullying look like, feel like, sound like?
In the main it consists of:
2.1 Physical – hitting, kicking, pinching, sexual assault, extortion, stealing, hiding belongings;
2.2 Verbal – name calling, mockery, insulting, making offensive remarks, sending offensive text messages, sexual innuendo, threatening; and
2.3 Indirect – spreading unpleasant stories about someone – including the use of the internet, exclusion from social groups, being made the subject of malicious rumours, graffiti, defacing of property, display of pornographic, classist, disabilist, homophobic, racist or sexist material.

3. Who bullies?
3.1 Anyone has the capacity to bully.
3.2 There are no completely reliable predispositional diagnoses. However those who perceive themselves as low status within a community, institution or group may use bullying in an attempt to artificially boost their status. Self esteem is therefore a key factor in whether someone bullies or not. This puts equal opportunities and inclusion at the centre of all anti-bullying work.

4. Who is bullied?
• Anyone can be bullied – student, parent/carer/guardian or staff member.
• People who suffer bullying are often perceived by others to be different.
• Sometimes the perceived difference is individual to that person – shyness, physical appearance, clothing and possessions, accent, perceived inappropriate behaviour.
• Frequently the perceived difference comes from assigning an individual to a group. Such bullying would then be designated as classist, disabilist, homophobic, racist and religious, or sexist.
• People can be assigned or be a member of more than one group.

4.1 What is classist bullying?
In classist bullying, a person is targeted for representing a perceived class or socio-economic group. This not only impacts on the individual person, but on their families and others perceived to be from that same group.

Incidents may include:
• verbal abuse by name-calling, offensive mimicry
• physical threats or attacks
• defacing of property
• graffiti
• inciting others to behave in a classist way
• mocking clothing and belongings
• refusing to co-operate in work and play (refusing to sit next to someone).

4.2 What is disabilist bullying?
People with Special Educational Needs or disabled people may be less able or more reluctant to articulate experiences as well as others. However, they are often at greater risk of being bullied, both directly and indirectly, and usually about their specific difficulties or disability.

Incidents may include:
• verbal abuse by name-calling, offensive mimicry
• physical threats or attacks
• defacing of property
• graffiti
• inciting others to behave in a disabilist way
• mockery of specific difficulty or disability
• mockery of person’s contributions to work
• refusing to co-operate in work and play (refusing to sit next to someone).

4.3 What is homophobic bullying?
In homophobic bullying, a person is targeted for being perceived as a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered (trans) person. People do not have to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans to suffer homophobic bullying. This bullying not only impacts on the individual person, but on their families and others perceived to be from that same group. It may be based on gender stereotyping.

Incidents may include:
• verbal abuse by name-calling, offensive mimicry
• physical threats or attacks
• mockery of subject and career choice
• defacing of property
• graffiti
• inciting others to behave in a homophobic way
• mockery of a person’s demeanour or way of speaking
• mockery of person’s contributions to work
• refusing to co-operate in work and play (refusing to sit next to someone).

4.4 What is racist and religious bullying?
In racist and religious bullying, a person is targeted for being perceived as being a member of a different ethnic, cultural or religious, group. People do not have to be of that group to suffer racist and religious bullying. This bullying not only impacts on the individual person, but on their families and others perceived to be from that same or similar group. Inappropriate assumptions maybe made about some one’s religion or belief because of their ethnic origin.

Incidents may include:
• verbal abuse by name-calling, offensive mimicry
• pretending not to understand/using gibberish
• physical threats or attacks
• mockery of physical appearance
• wearing of provocative badges or insignia
• having racist leaflets, comics or magazines
• defacing of property
• graffiti
• inciting others to behave in a racist way
• mockery of a person’s demeanour or way of speaking
• mockery of person’s contributions to work
• refusing to co-operate in work and play (refusing to sit next to someone)
• mockery of dress, religious observance, dietary habits
• mockery of country of origin.

4.5 What is sexist bullying?
In sexist bullying, a person is targeted for being perceived as being a member of a particular gender. This bullying impacts on the individual person and on all men and women.

Incidents may include:
• verbal abuse by name-calling, offensive mimicry
• physical threats or attacks
• inappropriate and uninvited touching
• sexual assault
• display of pornographic material
• mockery of physical appearance
• wearing of provocative badges or insignia
• having sexist leaflets, comics or magazines
• sexual innuendo
• defacing of property
• graffiti
• inciting others to behave in sexist way
• mockery of a person’s demeanour or way of speaking
• mockery of person’s contributions to work
• refusing to co-operate in work and play (refusing to sit next to someone)
• mockery of clothing
• mockery of subject and career choice.

Whilst all the above constitute some manifestations of bullying, it should be remembered that an incident of bullying is anything that the victim or anyone else perceives to be such an incident.

5. Prevention
5.1 Children’s behaviour is affected by the behaviour of the adults around them. Therefore we expect adults in the academy community to model respectful and courteous behaviour.
5.2 In the promotion of the academy’s anti-bullying work all pastoral and academic curriculum areas and all academy staff will reflect the academy’s equal opportunities policy and practice in all their work
5.3 The academy will develop partnerships with outside agencies such as the local education authority, local voluntary groups, theatre in education projects, victim support and the police where appropriate, both to inform students, staff and parents/carers/guardians of the issues and to give them support.
5.4 All areas of the academy including toilets and playgrounds will be appropriately supervised.
5.5 Assemblies, the academy environment and displayed material will consistently reinforce the equal opportunity and anti bullying policies.

6 Expectations of the Academy Community
The academy accepts that:
6.1 -every member of the academy community has the right to feel comfortable, safe, secure, equally valued and respected;
6.2 -every member of the academy community has the right to grow and change, free from prejudice, stereotyping, harassment and negative discrimination;
6.3 -every student in the academy community has the right to equal access to a curriculum that meets their needs;
6.4 -learning is the entitlement and responsibility of every member of the academy community;
6.5 -every member of the academy community has the right to object to and/or reject language or behaviour, which is offensive and/or intimidating,
6.6 -every member of the academy community has the responsibility to treat others with respect;
6.7 -it is  the responsibility of every member of the academy community to address and/or report all incidents of bullying.

7 Action
7.1 All members of the academy community will be alert to the possibility of breaches of the policy and take appropriate action. Students who identify that the policy is not being followed will alert an adult they trust. This may be their Form Tutor, Key Stage Director or Learning Manager. The person who receives a report from a student will take it extremely seriously and be seen to be doing so.
7.2 All allegations of breaches of the policy will be investigated thoroughly and sensitively. If a teacher is unsure how to deal with the incident, he or she will seek advice from more senior staff.
7.3 Bullying can be a crime, we may therefore choose to involve the police where appropriate.
7.4 Incidents and allegations will be investigated and the outcome recorded on the appropriate form. Feedback will always be provided to individuals who have made the allegations or complaint.
7.5 All incidents of bullying will be recorded and their frequency and type monitored. This information will be used to inform the development of the academy’s anti-bullying work.
7.6 Parents/carers/guardians are very important to the academy and in particular they have much to contribute to our anti-bullying work. As part of the home/academy contract all parents/carers/guardians will be asked to commit themselves to this policy.
7.7 The academy, in return, commits itself to investigate any allegations of any form of bullying from parents/carers/guardians promptly and to feedback back the outcome of such investigations. All incidents reported by parents/carers/guardians will be recorded.
7.8 The academy will also discuss with parents/carers/guardians any incidents of bullying in which their child has been involved, either as victim or perpetrator.
7.9 Parents/carers/guardians, students and all staff will be given clear procedures on how to report incidents.
7.10 The academy will provide training to all staff on how to recognise and deal with bullying.
We recognise that this must be done in a consistent and transparent manner.