Everyone at The Sky Academy takes bullying seriously; we want all our young people to feel safe and happy when they are at school.
Sometimes we don’t know if something bad is happening, so you need to tell us. This policy looks at bullying and what you can do when you feel you are being bullied, or when you notice someone else being bullied.
What is bullying?
It is any action which makes a young person feel uncomfortable, scared, hurt, upset, threatened or angry. Bullying is when it keeps on happening, it’s on purpose and is meant to upset someone. It is often aimed at certain groups, e.g., because of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation.
Types of bullying:
Emotional: hurting other people’s feelings, leaving you out.
Physical: punching, kicking, spitting, pushing, hitting, hair pulling, dragging along, sweeping off your feet, knocking into people.
Verbal: being teased, name calling or using hand signs.
Cyber: saying unkind things by text, email and online or sending unkind images.
Racist: calling you names because of the colour of your skin.
Homophobic: bullying someone because of their gender or sexuality; calling someone gay or lesbian to hurt their feelings would be homophobic.
Transphobic: bullying someone who identifies as trans – a person whose sense of identity and gender does not match with their birth sex.
Disablist: bullying someone because of a disability.
Sexist: bullying someone because of their sex (whether they are a boy or a girl).
Sexting: is sending inappropriate pictures, videos or messages – they can sometimes be called ‘rude pics’ or ‘nude selfies’.
Sexual harassment: sometimes people can act sexually towards each other and it might make them feel uncomfortable. This can happen online, social media or face to face. It might make someone feel scared, uncomfortable or upset. For example, it could be someone making sexual comments, saying rude things, using sexual names or touching which makes you feel uncomfortable.
What to do if you are being bullied:
DO:
Ask them to STOP.
Ignore them.
Find a member of staff.
Walk away.
Ask to speak to the member of the Pastoral team.
Talk to a friend or a parent.
TELL SOMEONE!
DON’T:
Do what the bully says.
Get angry or upset.
Think that it’s your fault.
Hide the problem.
Always remember it is not your fault and you are never alone.
You shouldn’t be scared to talk to someone if you are being bullied. If you talk to an adult, we can make the bullying stop.
What should I do if I see someone else being bullied?
Tell an adult straight away. Don’t stay silent or the bullying will keep on happening.
It is important you tell someone if you are being bullied, or you notice someone else being bullied.
Who can I talk to?
Speaking to someone like your mum, dad, carer, or teacher will mean that we can make sure the bullying stops and doesn’t happen again.
