What is bullying?

Bullying is behaviour by an individual or a group that is seen by you as an attempt to hurt, frighten, humiliate or threaten you or someone else, particularly if the behaviour is repeated or persistent.
If you are being bullied in any way or are worried about somebody else who might be you must tell somebody.
As a school we take bullying very seriously. Students and parents should be assured that they will be supported when bullying is reported.
 
Bullying can be:

  • Physical- Hitting, pushing, taking someone’s belongings
  • Verbal- Name calling, insults, racist or sexist remarks, threatening, mocking or offensive comments.
  • Indirect- spreading rumours, sending abusive texts, excluding somebody from a      group
  • Emotional- being unfriendly, gossiping, tormenting, graffiti
  • Sexual- unwanted physical contact or comments relating to sex or sexuality

Many of these types of bullying can take place in the online environment and this is known as “CYBER BULLYING” eg. Misuse of all areas of the Internet, inappropriate messaging and emailing, sending offensive or degrading images by phone or via the Internet, misuse of any social media.

If there are any serious offences reported this information may be given to other agencies to assist in helping you with your problem. For advice on cyberbullying go to the following Website: http://ceop.police.uk/ 
 
How to react

  • Try to ignore bullies.  Walk away and do not let them see that you are upset.  Don’t give them the satisfaction of getting a reaction from you.
  • If you can, calmly stand up for yourself and ask them to stop their behaviour.
  • Try to stay with your friends and avoid being on your own.

What to do next

Tell someone you trust.  This could be a friend, someone at home or  a teacher.  You could discuss the issue with  a member of our Pastoral Team who are available throughout the day along with our Wellbeing Coach or Safeguarding Officers. Just talking to someone may help you to find a solution to the problem.

What will happen if you tell a teacher or a member of our Pastoral Team?

The teacher will listen to you and offer support.  The teacher can talk to the person who is bullying you (if you agree) and hopefully stop the bullying.
 
What to do if you see bullying

  • Comfort, support and stay with the victim.
  • Tell the victim to report the incident.
  • Tell somebody (e.g. a teacher) what you have seen.
  • If you are in a group where one member is bullying, show that you disapprove, because by doing nothing you support the bully.


If there are any serious offences reported this information may be given to other agencies to assist in helping you with your problem. For advice on cyberbullying go to the following Website: http://ceop.police.uk/ Remember, this is not an emergency service.
 
Remember:

Bullying will not be tolerated at The Heights, Blackburn.
Report it so we can sort it!

“The culture and ethos of the school encourages a caring and supportive environment in which learning and good behaviour can flourish.”

Ofsted