Rights and Expectations
- Everyone has the right to feel safe and happy while at the college, travelling to and from the college, or attending a college organised activity.
- Students have the right to learn in a safe, enjoyable environment.
- No student should feel at risk from any kind of physical, emotional, psychological, sexual or any other form of harassment such as bullying,
- Teachers have the right to enjoy their teaching, and to be given every opportunity to teach in a calm, safe, pleasant and purposeful learning environment. No teacher or other adult should feel at risk from any kind of physical, emotional, psychological, sexual or any other form of harassment.
Definition
Harassment, bullying and violence is deliberate, persistent physical or mental intimidation of a person by another person or group with the intent of causing hurt or discomfort.
Forms of Harassment, Bullying and Violence
Physical
e.g. hitting, punching, pushing or any kind of sexual interference; threatening to harm people or their property; hiding, damaging or destroying the property of others.
Verbal
e.g. name-calling, putting others down, “paying out”, using offensive names, ridiculing someone’s name; making derogatory comments about a person’s culture, background, customs, gender, sexuality or beliefs; spreading rumours about people or their families and friends; mocking or denigrating another person’s abilities and talents (including via e-mail and sms).
Gesture
e.g. looks, shrugs or other gestures which are associated with threats or which are offensive.
Sexual
Sexual harassment in this context, refers to ” deliberate sexual comments and gestures, or any other conduct of a sexual nature which is perceived to be embarrassing, demeaning or compromising”
Cyber Bullying
This is harassment and bullying which uses e-technology to harass or victimise others. It can take the form of text messaging, using social networking sites (such as Facebook, Internet chat-rooms, email and web-sites with the intention of harming another person.
How can harassment, bullying and violence be prevented?
Muirden Senior College policies are proactive and orientated towards prevention and intervention. Managing incidents of abuse/victimisation includes:
- Being friendly and respectful to everyone
- Creating opportunities for students to share concerns
- Developing procedures encouraging early identification of incidents
- Refusing to join in if your friends encourage you to harass others
- Helping your friends to stop harassing others if they are doing so
- Encouraging students to seek immediate help when bullying is witnessed or experienced
Reporting incidents of harassment
- Explicitly encouraging all members of the college community to take a proactive stand against bullying and violence
- Listening and helping when victims of harassment confide in you
If you are being harassed, bullied or victimised
You can:
- Ask the person to stop harassing you and explain why you don’t like what they are doing
- Tell someone you can trust
- Tell a teacher or the principal
Harassment, Bullying and Violence Procedure
Muirden Senior College will actively intervene following all incidents of harassment, bullying and violence. The following steps may be taken:
- Every complaint will be taken seriously and will be investigated by the principal
- The person accused of harassing will be interviewed. At the interview the offending behaviour will be described and an explanation given of how this behaviour is harassing the other student
- An agreement to discontinue this behaviour will be sought
- Any retaliation towards the person who made the formal complaint will cause progression to the next step
- Counselling with students involved
- Suspension from college
- Expulsion from college