POLICIES

ANTI-BULLYING

PRINCIPLES & VALUES
Ruamrudee International School is a Catholic school that provides an interfaith, inclusive, and academically-rigorous education for students to be balanced, successful, and compassionate. As a school, we take bullying and its impact seriously. All members of the RIS community should be assured that bullying incidents will be addressed to their fullest extent. Bullying is not tolerated. RIS will seek ways to counter the effects of bullying that may occur within the school community. Our ethos fosters high behavior expectations, and we will consistently challenge any behavior below these. 

OBJECTIVES
This policy aims to work together to ensure that our school is safe for everyone. RIS is committed to providing a safe and caring environment that fosters respect for all and does not tolerate bullying. 

All members of the RIS community should: 

• Have an understanding of what bullying is   

• Know the school policy on bullying and follow it when it is reported or witnessed

DEFINITION OF BULLYING FROM UNESCO*  

• “Bullying and cyberbullying involve power imbalance and occur within a given network of school and community relationships, and is enabled or inhibited by the social and institutional context of schools and the education system.

• Bullying and cyberbullying are relational phenomena that occur within a network of people

• Bullying and cyberbullying often imply an absence of effective or positive responses and care towards targets by peers and adults                   

• Bullying and cyberbullying often cause emotional, social, and physical harm.

• Repetition is not only linked to the number of times that incidents of bullying and cyberbullying occur, but it also relates to the effect on the target, who may fear that a once-off event might be repeated or re-shared online                   

• Not all perpetrators of bullying act intentionally. Students involved in bullying may do it due to group dynamics rather than because they want to harm the targeted student.” 

Direct quote from UNESCO (2020). International conference on school bullying: Recommendations by the scientific committee on preventing and addressing school bullying and cyberbullying: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000374794

Bullying can take many forms. Bullying includes, but is not limited to: 

• EMOTIONAL
  Tormenting (e.g., hiding books, threatening gestures, taking phones), social exclusion

• PHYSICAL
  Pushing, kicking, biting, hitting, punching or any use of violence

• RACIAL/ETHNICITY
  Taunts, disparaging images, or gestures related to the color of skin, country of origin, and language

• SEXUAL
  Unwanted physical contact or unwelcome sexualized communication and images

• SEXUALITY/ORIENTATION/GENDER
  Excluding name-calling and tormenting based on gender and gender identity and sexuality

• DIRECT OR INDIRECT VERBAL
  Name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumors, teasing, screaming

• CYBER-BULLYING
  All areas of the internet, such as email and internet chat, misuse of Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and all social media platforms

• RELIGION
  Taunts, disparaging images, or gestures related to religious beliefs

REPORTING BULLYING
Any concerned person should report bullying to a teacher, counselor, or section administrator in writing or verbally. The faculty member who receives the report will document any reported incidents as a log entry in PowerSchool. The log entry may include previously observed behaviors that indicate a pattern. 

Section-level administration, counselor, and teacher will complete an initial investigation that may consist of parent communication before the end of the day. The teacher, counselor, and section admin will complete additional documentation and follow-up, who will follow up on the report and add a log entry with information about consequences. 

RESPONSIBILITIES OF FACULTY/STAFF

• be role models in word and action at all times 

• ensure that our classroom management practices support respect for others 

• be observant of signs of distress or suspected incidents of bullying

• deal with all reported and observed incidences of bullying as set out in this policy 

• be observant of student behavior during all supervision duties (playground, flex, lunch, etc.)

• report incidences of bullying to the section Assistant Principal/Principal or counselor

RESPONSIBILITIES OF STUDENTS

• report to a trusted adult (counselor, teacher, admin, parent) if they are being bullied or if they see someone else being bullied—both at school and away from school

• help someone who is being bullied 

• be respectful, responsible, inclusive, and safe to all 

RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARENTS

• watch for signs that their child may be being bullied, e.g., unwillingness to attend school, a pattern of headaches, missing equipment, requests for extra money, damaged clothes, or bruising

• speak to someone on staff teacher Counselor, or Administrator in Secondary) at RIS if their child is being bullied or they suspect that this is happening

• encourage their child to report if they are bullied 

REPORTING PROCEDURES

• Incidents are reported to the appropriate person - Principal/Assistant Principal/Dean/Counselor/Teacher and logged into PowerSchool

• The person who receives the report (principal/assistant principal/dean/counselor/teacher) ensures a PowerSchool Log Entry for the perpetrator and victim and notifies the counseling office of the incident so the counselor can record the information about the targeted student.

• Administrator(s)/Dean of Students will interview the alleged perpetrator, targeted student, and any bystanders to establish facts

  • Administrator(s)/Dean of Students will collaborate with counselors to ensure support for victim(s) and perpetrator(s). 

ACT OF BULLYING VERIFIED

• Appropriate person (counselor/admin if student, admin if adult) meets with the perpetrator so that the person who bullied is aware of the effect on the target 

• An appropriate person ensures the perpetrator acts responsibly and constructively to remedy the situation. Perpetrator completes Behaviour Reflection Form. A copy is to be sent home. 

• Administrators utilize Section Handbooks to support individuals involved.

  • Verified acts of bullying are logged on Powerschool 

  • PowerSchool log is also entered for the victim of bullying 

  • If this is a safeguarding concern, administrators(s) and/or counselor(s) will ensure that a safeguarding form is completed and submitted

EVALUATION
The counselor(s)/administrator(s) will regularly check in with the people involved to ensure that the bullying behaviors have not continued.