What is bullying?
Bullying occurs when somebody who is less powerful than another person or group is deliberately and repeatedly hurt without in any way deserving that treatment.
Bullying involves a desire to hurt + hurtful action + a power imbalance + (typically) repetition + an unjust use of power + evident enjoyment by the aggressor and a sense of being oppressed on the part of the victim (Rigby, 2010).
Bullying behaviour can be:
• verbal - eg name calling, teasing, abuse, putdowns, sarcasm, insults, threats
• physical - eg hitting, punching, kicking, scratching, tripping, spitting
• social - eg ignoring, excluding, alienating, making inappropriate gestures
• psychological - eg spreading rumours, dirty looks, mean jokes, hiding or damaging possessions, malicious SMS, IM or email messages, inappropriate use of camera phones (cyberbullying).
Responsibilities:
Parents, teachers and children at Neutral Bay PS have the responsibility to:
• Promote positive relationships that respect and accept individual differences and diversity within the whole school community.
• Abstain personally from bullying others.
• Actively discourage bullying when it occurs.
• Give support to those who are victimised.