Teach-Primary-Issue-20.1

26 | www.teachwire.net Prevention is better than cure Like with many things, it is important that we focus our efforts on prevention. I would suggest that there should be three areas of focus here. First, is there a robust programme in place to teach children about equality, fairness and mutual respect? This should include a range of issues including race, religion, gender identity, disability, neurodivergence, etc. The UN Convention on the Rights of a Child (UNCRC) may provide a helpful framework for this. If children do not have a good understanding of equality, fairness and mutual respect then there will be fertile soil in which bullying can take root. Second, children need help to understand what bullying is and, importantly, what it isn’t. They need help to understand what bullying looks, and feels like, and what they should do if they feel it is happening to them. There are lots of high quality, and often free, resources available to help with this. A great starting point is the Anti-Bullying Alliance or the Respect Me organisation in Scotland (find links in the panel). I clearly remember, as a young headteacher, two girls (about 10 years old) who would frequently pitch up to my office after lunch break. The scene would always play out in a similar way: the girls would tell me about the problems that occurred over break time, the things that had been said, the games that people had been left out of and the inappropriate language that had been used. I would listen carefully, show empathy and ask questions when I needed to clarify points. Then, just as I was about to settle upon a plan of action, the girls would announce “but don’t worry Mr Shields, we are all friends now” and would skip out of my room, hand-in-hand. Despite the frustration at losing half an hour I would never get back – and could have used more productively – the relief I felt at not having to unpick a complicated bullying situation far outweighed it. Whether as a class teacher or a senior leader, having to deal with bullying can be both time-consuming and challenging. So, how do we deal with such incidents if they occur and, perhaps more importantly, how can we reduce the likelihood of them happening in the first place? How can I HELP? When bullying crops up, it can be a time-consuming and difficult situation, but following some simple steps can help curb the stress, says Alan Shields vulnerable than others? It may be possible to take action in response to this contextual information. For example, is it possible to re-deploy some staffing to the ‘hot spot’ area? Can some type of diversionary activity or club be put on to mitigate the risk at particular times of the day or for particular groups? When the worst does happen All these actions should help to minimise the possibility that bullying will occur… but they can’t eliminate it, unfortunately. What do you do if a child, or Such resources can help to equip children and young people with the knowledge, skills and strategies to deal with bullying should it become an issue for them. The development of peer anti-bullying champions or mentors may be an approach worth considering, too. Any such initiative will, of course, require careful training and support. In the current climate, it is essential that any anti- bullying approach has a strong focus on potential online issues. Third, it can be really helpful to look at the contextualised aspect of any previous bullying incidents. Are there particular times of day when bullying is more likely to occur? Are certain locations acting as ‘hot spots’ for bullying? Are some groups of children more “If children don’t have a good understanding of equality, there’ll be fertile soil in which bullying can take root”