Introduction

This policy outlines the procedures through which leaders must follow when dealing with children who are part of the Swineshead Village Children’s Drama Group.  It is the responsibility of the Founding Director, and all leaders involved to ensure that the procedures described are followed.

 

Philosophy

Our hope is that children will have a great deal of fun, in a relaxed and safe atmosphere.  It is hoped that they will further develop their professional approach to drama productions under the warm and consistent care of the leaders.  No child should ever be made to feel that they are not valued, or that they are worthless, as a result of bullying. 

 

Bullying

In their booklet “Tackling Bullying”, Faye Howe and Jim Tuthill (1994) argue that bullying can be a ‘form of child abuse, although it is not often acknowledged as such’, as it has short- and long-term effects upon how a person feels about themselves.  As Qualified Teachers, and responsible adults under the Suitability of Workers guidance which followed The Children’s Act 1989, we have a certain duty of care towards the children, and must operate under the responsibility: in loco parentis.  Because of this, we must accept that there may be a problem, and attempt to deal with it in the most effective ways.  it could be argued that failure to act upon the needs of the child is a form of moral and professional negligence.

 

What is Bullying?

In essence, Bullying is considered to be the consistent, enduring and premeditated behaviour resulting in an individual feeling offended, in danger or scared.  There are a number of distinct categories of bullying.  The categories highlight broad bands of behaviour, such as:

·      Physical Bullying

·      Verbal Bullying

·      Emotional Bullying

·      Racial Bullying

·      Sexual Bullying

          (from Kidscape guidance).

Each group contains certain characteristics, and this can be seen as follows:

Physical Bullying

This involves using forms of violent or threatening behaviour.  Physical bullying is ‘more visible than other forms’ (Train, 1995), and is more noticeable because of this: scratches, bruises, bumps, etc. ‘produce concrete evidence’ (Train, 1995).  It is sometimes possible for this form to be kept secret, and for the evidence to be hidden by victims who are fearful of further physical attacks.

 

Verbal Bullying

This refers to the non-physical taunts, to name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, persistent teasing, etc.  Louise Rosen (March 1998) explains that this form of bullying can have the most damaging effects upon those who suffer from it.  Many parents, teachers and friends of bullied children often advise the victim to ignore what they are experiencing, remembering that ‘sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt you’ (“Preventing Bullying!: A Parent’s Guide”, Kidscape, 1998a).  Alan Train (1995) explains that when children chant this during a session of verbal bullying, they are attempting to ‘reassure themselves that they will survive’ (Train, 1995).  The Kidscape booklet explains that this myth is a fallacy because the ‘bruises left by blows fade and heal but the scars left by name-calling can last for ever’.

 

Emotional Bullying

Louise Rosen opines that this is far more prevalent with girls than with boys.  It includes exclusion, tormenting, ridicule, humiliation, etc.  It can be extremely hurtful (Train, 1995) to the child who is “sent to Coventry” (Train, 1995).  By excluding the child from a social group with whom they feel comfortable, that child seeks to find some reason within themselves for the behaviour that is exhibited towards them.

 

Racial Bullying

This can include physical, verbal and emotional bullying, but all attacks will focus upon the racial or geographical difference of the child.  It could be argued that most teachers and youth workers would assume that racial bullying only occurs to children from a different cultural background, but Louise Rosen (1998) cites an example of a child whose parents moved from Yorkshire to Lancashire:

            ‘When I moved school the kids would make fun of me because I’m a

Yorkshireman, but I’m proud of being a Yorkshireman’

(The Teacher magazine, March 1998)

 

Racial and Sexual harassment, ‘are particularly insidious forms of bullying, as they attack the fundamental characteristics of a person’s being - their sense of self’ (Tattum and Herbert, 1993).  This can include taunts about the victim’s ‘family… culture… home, and… origins’ (Train, 1995), or even the accents with which they speak.  The aim of this form of bullying is to make the child feel ashamed of “where they come from”, whether it be Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Yorkshire, or even Birmingham.

 

Sexual Bullying

This is ‘one of the most disturbing forms of this already disturbing behaviour’ (Louise Rosen, March 1998) and can constitute physical and verbal harassment.  She cites the example of an eight year old girl who was

            ‘forced to strip naked outside her school by older girls in front of a

group of 20 boys, to whom she had to beg in order to get her clothes

back’ (page 20).

   

Ways to deal with Bullying at Swineshead Village Children’s Drama Group

General

The Swineshead Village Children's Drama Group accepts that it is very unlikely that children will suffer from any forms of bullying.  However, this policy is necessary, so that all leaders will be able to follow the correct procedure should this occur.  The children will be receiving proper supervision, and all forms of bullying will be taken seriously and dealt with appropriately and sensitively.

 

Advice for Children

·         If you experience, or observe any incidences of bullying, tell a trusted grown up.

·      Remove yourself from the situation as quickly as possible.

·      It might be helpful for you to write down what you have seen or experienced.

·      If it upsets you, do speak with your parents.

 

Advice for Leaders

When a child informs you of bullying incidents:

·      Take it seriously, and do something about it.

·      Speak with the Founding Director, who will:

·      Speak to everyone involved individually.  

 ·       Ask neutral and ambiguously open-ended questions, such as “tell me what happened”.

·      Record incidents in the Incident Book.

·      Ascertain whether children can identify any areas for possible solutions.

·      Inform the parents of the victim and alleged bully.

·      Throughout the session, ensure that those children involved in an "incident" are kept under careful  

       supervision.

·      Speak with the children at the end, to find out if the strategies have worked.  What further work could be 

       done?

 

NB: It is time consuming and often impossible to discover “who did what”.  Always concentrate on positive future action.

 

Advice for Parents

·      Do your children begin acting unusually.

·      Take your children seriously if they tell you of incidents.

·      Encourage them to discuss their problems with a member of the Drama Group staff.

·      Speak to the Founding Director without hesitation.

 

Drama Group Organisation

The children are welcomed into the Church Hall by the Founding Director and Youth Leaders.  When everyone is present, the children are encouraged to get together, to be told the agenda for that sessions’ activities.  The children will be split into groups, after being given specific objectives to work towards.  The Leaders will ensure that the children are working responsibly, and will follow accepted procedures if observed behaviour is inappropriate or unacceptable.

 

At the end of the session, the children are dismissed quietly and encouraged to leave sensibly, with the Founding Director and Leaders standing at the Main Entrance / Exit door.  Children will be expected to travel home with their parents, unless permission has been received.

 

Children must ask permission to go to the toilet, and will inform their Drama Leader on their return.  Groups of children should not be allowed to go to the toilet together.

 

References

Reference has been made to certain documents:

·      Howe, F. and Tuthill, J. (1994) “Tackling Bullying”, NSPCC

·      Train, A. (1995) “The Bullying Problem: How To Deal With Difficult Children”; Souvenir Press Limited

·      Rosen, L. (1998) “What To Do About The Bully Boys (And Girls)”; The Teacher, March 1998

·      Kidscape (1998a) “Preventing Bullying: A Parent’s Guide”

·      Tattum, D. and Herbert, G. (1993) “Countering Bullying: Initiatives By Schools And Local Authorities”;   

       Trentham Books Limited

 

Kidscape

If you are interested in the concept of Preventing Bullying, please contact Kidscape for further details.  This booklet is useful for parents, teachers, school governors and other people involved in the lives of children.

 

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