Should we prioritise tackling some types of bullying over others?
Immediate physical safety obviously comes first. All bullying, whatever the motivation or method, is unacceptable and should not be tolerated. Some issues will be more familiar to schools than others and this guidance points to other specialist organisations for further information about how to tackle specific types of bullying. Please see the ‘further sources of information' links on this site.
Should I discipline pupils for bullying outside the school?
Yes. If an incident of bullying outside the school premises is reported to the school, it is important that it is investigated and appropriate action is taken. This will send a strong signal to pupils that bullying will not be tolerated and perpetrators will be held to account.
How do schools with a religious character – or schools dealing with parents with particular religious beliefs – respond to prejudice based bullying?
Notwithstanding the particular tenets of their faith, schools with a religious character should uphold the values of tolerance, non-discrimination and respect towards others and condemn all forms of bullying, as in any other school.
How can we involve parents more in our anti-bullying work?
Schools should talk to parents about their anti-bullying policy and make it available to them and prospective parents as part of their behaviour policy. Schools should ensure that parents know what measures are being taken to prevent bullying, as well as how incidents are responded to, and may also encourage positive messages about good behaviour and respect for others at home.
Should I record incidents of bullying?
Staff should develop a consistent approach to monitoring bullying incidents in their school and evaluating whether their approach is effective. For some schools, that will mean recording incidents so that they can monitor incident numbers and identify where bullying is recurring between the same pupils. Others do not want to keep written records. We want schools to exercise their own judgment as to what will work best for their pupils.
