Bullying is the repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. It can happen face to face or online. It is often aimed at certain groups, for example because of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. At Meadowhead School we will not tolerate bullying.

Quite often, a bully will not work in isolation. They will only bully as they have their behaviour reinforced and assisted by others. At Meadowhead, we recognise that all participants are responsible, not just the perpetrator. We also recognise that some acts may not be repetitive but still need reporting so they can be dealt with by a member of staff. This includes any act that is intended to cause harm or offence.

Please open the PDF at the foot of this page for the full policy

Bullying can be:

Emotional	being unfriendly and excluding other children
Physical	pushing, kicking, hitting, punching or any use of violence
Racist	racial taunts, graffiti, gestures
Sexist	Attitudes used to intimidate or harm another based on sex or gender
Sexual	unwanted physical contact or sexually abusive comments
Homophobic	because of or focussing on the issue of sexuality
Verbal	name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, teasing
Cyber	All areas of internet, such as email, text messages, social media etc.

Responding to Bullying

All incidents of bullying will be taken seriously and dealt with as quickly as possible. Staff will do all they can to support the victims of bullying and make it clear to the bully that this behaviour is not acceptable.

In dealing with bullying, Meadowhead staff will:

• Reassure the victim and keep them safe

• Gather evidence through witness statements and CCTV footage where necessary

• Identify all roles involved in the bullying including those reinforcing or assisting the bully.

• Contact parents of the victim and the bully (and other roles where necessary) and provide updates

• Meet with parents of the victim and the bully (and other roles where necessary) to decide on a plan of action

• Advise blocking of social media sites where appropriate

• Ensure all parties sign a Conflict Resolution contract (see appendix 2)

• Consult with the police if necessary and appropriate

• Hold regular follow up meetings with relevant members of staff