Here at St Thomas we aim to promote healthy self-esteems for all learners.

This can be nurtured in children by affirming their strengths and talents. It goes without saying that children with a good self-esteem are able to deal better with abuse and harassment and are likely to recover more easily from it.
1. What is bullying?

Bullying  is  not  only  physical  but  also  psychological  and  verbal  harassment. It includes  calling  learners  names,  making  things  up  to  get  them  into  trouble,  pinching,  hitting,  biting  or  pushing  and  shoving. It  also  includes  threatening,  teasing,  ‘dissing’,  racial  slurs,  hate  speech,  foul  language,  name  calling,  rumour-mongering,  ostracising,  manipulation  and  domination.

2. Consequences of bullying.

Victims report feelings of  vengefulness,  self-pity  and  anger  after  a  bullying  incident. If  these  feelings  are  not  dealt  with,  such  reactions  can  turn  into  depression  and  physical illness. Pupils who are accused of  any form  of  bullying  make  themselves  liable  to  punishment  ranging  from  a  reprimand  to  suspension  and  expulsion,  depending  on  the  severity  of  the  act. Furthermore, since  harassment  and  bullying  is  part  of  the  unacceptable behaviour  identified  in  the  Code of Conduct for Learners  (Chapter  7,  Discipline),  the discipline  procedures  as  laid  down  in  the  Code  are  to  be  followed.

3. How do St. Thomas Aquinas learners respond to bullying?

The  learner being victimised  is  to  ask  the  person  to  stop  the  behaviour  that  hurts  and  to  do  so  immediately. He/she is  to  tell  the  person  that  the  behaviour  is  unkind,  that  it  makes  him/her  feel  uncomfortable. Furthermore, the  learner  will  warn  the  person  not  to  repeat  that  behaviour. He/she  will  try  to  do  this  in  an  assertive  way,  not  with  aggression. (Assertiveness  involves  confidence  and  control,  stating  your  case,  listening  and  then  insisting  on  your  turn  to  speak,  walking  away  to  safety  and  asking  for  help  if  the  bully  does  not  stop. Aggressive  behaviour  such  as  insulting  and  hitting  is  to  be  avoided).

Onlookers  who  just  stand  and  watch  actually  support  the  bully  and  keep  the  cycle  going. If  they  cannot  be  of  assistance  themselves,  they  are  expected  to  alert  a  prefect  or  teacher.

If  the  conflict  persists  or  if  it  gets  out  of  hand,  the  teacher  is  to  intervene.   The  next  step  after  that  would  be  to  go  to  the  head  of  department  and  then  the  principal.

A  help-box  is  made  available  for  learners  where  they  can  leave  notes  about  what  happened  or  what  they  observed.

Bullying Policy

In accordance with the requirements of the South African Schools Act (Act 84/1996) the School Board of Governors has adopted the following anti-bullying policy within the framework of the Schools Code of Conduct.

Bullying Policy

PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT:

To outline strategies for staff, learners and parents to prevent social, emotional and physical intimidation at Saint Thomas Aquinas School.

All members of Saint Thomas Aquinas recognizes the very serious nature of bullying and the negative impact that it can have on the lives of learners and is therefore committed to the following key principals of best practice in preventing and tackling bullying behavior:

Saint Thomas Aquinas seeks to provide a learning environment that is safe from abuse or intimidation and create a school culture and climate which:

  • Is welcoming of difference and diversity and is based on inclusivity.
  • Encourages learners to disclose and discuss incidents of bullying behavior in a non-threatening environment; and
  • Promotes respectful relationships across the school community
  • Effective leadership
  • A shared understanding of what bullying is and its impact
  • Implementation of education and prevention strategies including awareness raising measures that:
  • Build empathy, respect and resilience in learners; and
  • Explicitly address the issues of cyber-bullying and identity –based bullying including particular, racial and homophobic bullying
  • Effective supervision and monitoring of learners
  • Support for staff
  • Consistent recording, investigation and follow up of bullying behavior (including the use of intervention strategies); and
  • Ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness of the anti-bullying policy
Definition of Bullying:

Bullying is defined as unwanted negative behavior, verbal, psychological or physical conducted by an individual or group against another person 9or persons) and which is repeated over time.

Isolated or once off incidents of initial negative behaviuor, including a once-off hurtful or offensice text message or other private messaging, do not fall within the definition of bullying and should be dealt with, as appropriate, in accordance with the School Code of Conduct.

Types of Bullying:

THE FOLLOWING LIST IS EXAMPLES OF BULLYING BUT IT IS NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST.

  1. Psychological:

This will include name calling, ‘dissing’, abusive language, threats of violence and spreading spiteful or malicious rumours.

  1. Physical:

This may include pushing, slapping, punching, shoving, kicking, poking, tripping people or even assault with the intention of causing grievious bodily harm. While learners sometimes engage in “play fights”; they can sometimes be sued to disguise physical harassment or inflicting pain.

  1. Sexual Bullying:

This may include sexual abusive language, picking on a child with a different sexual orientation, touching of genitalia or breasts, threatening a person with sexual assault.

  1. Racial Bullying:

This may include racial name calling, intolerance of other race groups / religions.

  1. Financial Bullying:

This may include taking someone’s lunch,  theft, requesting protection, money

  1. Cyber Bullying:

This type of bullying is increasingly common. It may include abuse of social network sites or cell phones to spread malicious rumours, threatening violence or creating false profiles or a person on Facebook etc. Being the target of inappropriate or hurtful messages is the most common form of bullying and does not require face to face contact.

  1. Isolation:

This is to purposefully exclude or isolate a peer.

GUIDELINES FOR MEMBERS OF STAFF:
  1. Educators who will investigate and deal with the bullying behavior are:
  • All HODS per department:
  • The Deputy Principals in the Primary and High School
The education and prevention strategies that will be used by the school are as follows:
  • Learners will be encouraged to address the problem of bullying behaviour and report it to an educator.Awareness will be raised by addressing bullying in class lessons, through posters and discussions.As self-esteem is a major factor in determining behavior, the academic support program and the extra mural sport and culture program will offer learners opportunities to develop a positive sense of self -worth.Learners will be made aware of cyber bullying by including education programs in the lessons on appropriate online behavior, how to stay safe and develop a culture of reporting any concerns about cyber bullyin

Access to technology at the school can also offer opportunities for cyber bullying. Learners will be educated on the appropriate behaviour with regards to the technology.

  • The awareness and education program will take into account the age and the gender of the learner.
  • Parent education campaigns will be in place to ensure that parents are fully aware of the definition of bullying and the dangers associated with bullying behavior.
  • The Life Orientation curriculum makes specific provision for exploring bullying as well as interrelated areas of belonging and integrating communication, conflict, friendship, personal safety and relationships.
  • The lessons offered in art, drama and physical education also highlight the unacceptability of bullying behaviour.
  • It will be made clear to all learners that when they report incidents of bullying they are not considered to be “telling tales” but that they are behaving responsibly.
The school procedure for investigation and follow up and recording of bullying behavior and the establishment of intervention strategies for dealing with bullying are as follows:
  • The primary aim of the HOD is to resolve any issue and to restore, as far as practical, the relationship of the parties involved.
  • Non- teaching staff such as secretaries, coaches, ground staff and bus drivers must report any incident of bullying behaviour witnessed by them or mentioned to them, to the relevant HOD.
  • The educator must exercise his/her professional judgement to determine whether bullying has occurred and how best the situation might be resolved.
  • All reports, including anonymous reports must be investigated and dealt with. In this way learners will gain confidence in “telling”.
  • Parents and learners are required to co-operate with any investigation and assist the school in resolving the issues and restoring relationships.
  • HODS will take a calm, unemotional problem-solving approach when dealing with reports.
  • The incidents will generally be investigated outside the classroom to ensure the privacy of all involved.
  • All interviews will be conducted with sensitivity and with due regard to the rights of all the learners concerned.
  • Learners who are not directly involved can also provide useful information.
  • The HOD should seek answers to questions of: What? Where? When? Why?
  • If a group is involved, each member should be interviewed. It will be at the discretion of the HOD to decide if the group will be interviewed as individuals or as a group, provided each group member is heard.
  • Where possible, written reports should be requested.
  • In cases where it has been determined that bullying behaviour has occurred, the parents of the parties involved should be contacted at an early stage to inform them of the matter and explain the actions being taken (by referring to the code of conduct).
  • Where it is deemed necessary based on the information and evidence collected from the investigation a learner or learners may be suspended immediately and notice given for a disciplinary hearing.
  • In cases where a learner’s life may be in jeopardy, the learner or learners suspected of intimidation may be suspended in order to complete the investigation. If is it deemed necessary, the learner / learners will be called to a disciplinary hearing.
  • The format of the disciplinary hearing will follow the Saint Thomas School Code of Conduct.
  • The school will offer the parents an opportunity of discussing ways in which they can reinforce or support the actions being taken by the school.
  • Where it has been determined that a learner has engaged in bullying behaviour, it should be made clear to him/her how he/she is in breach of the schools anti-bullying policy and efforts should be made to try to get him/her to see the situation from the perspective of the learner being bullied.
  • Where disciplinary measures are implemented based on the school code of conduct, the matter remains private between the school, the learner being disciplined and the parent.
  • In determining whether a bullying case has been adequately and appropriately addressed the HOD must as a part of his/her professional judgement, take the following factors into account:
  • Whether the bullying behaviour has ceased
  • Whether the issues between the parties have been resolved and restored
  • Should the HOD feel counselling is required, a recommendation can made to the parent.
  • All documentation and records will be placed on the learner’s profile.

All incidents of alleged bullying must be reported to the relevant HOD.