Bullying is NOT accepted at Moulsham

At Moulsham High School, intolerance and bullying are completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated. 

We as a school prevent bullying by:

• Teaching difference and acceptance within the curriculum
• Explicitly teaching kindness within all subject areas
• Explicitly encouraging responsibility by teaching students how to raise awareness to potential bullying situations
• Briefings on anti-bullying 
• Celebrating diversity e.g., LGBTQ+ History Month, Black History Month, Women’s History Month
• Uniform inclusion 
• Student Voice

Bullying must include the following three aspects;

•   Repetitive
• Deliberate/ intentional
• Imbalance of power

Bullying is anti-social and will not be tolerated from any member of our School community. It is vital that we encourage good behaviour and respect for others, and to prevent all forms of bullying among pupils. All moulsham High School staff should be alert to signs of bullying and act promptly and firmly, demonstrating to pupils that this issue is taken seriously and that the situation will not be allowed to continue. 

Bullying encompasses a wide range of behaviours. 

Bullying is defined as deliberately hurtful behaviour, repeated over a period of time, where it is difficult for those being bullied to defend themselves. Bullying can be: 

• Emotional: being unfriendly, excluding, tormenting (e.g., hiding books, threatening gestures).
• Physical: pushing, kicking, hitting, punching or any use of violence. 
• Racist: racial taunts, graffiti, gestures. 
• Sexual: unwanted physical contact or sexually abusive comments.
• Homophobic: because of or focussing on sexuality. 
• Transphobic: because of or focussing on transgender.
• Verbal: name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, teasing.  
• Cyber: all areas of internet, such as email and internet chat room misuse, mobile threats by text messaging and calls, misuse of associated technology, i.e., camera &video facilities.
• Intellectual/Neurodiversity (SEND): Being unfriendly, excluding, and abusive to another because of one’s educational needs 

To be defined as bullying, the offending behaviour is repetitive (has this happened before?), deliberate/ intentional (Has the bully purposely gone to cause harm or distress?) and there is an imbalance of power (Does the bully hold the power within the incident?) Power is influenced by a range of factors including but not limited to; gender, intelligence, size, age, experience, qualifications, and knowledge

In all cases of bullying, the victim is unable to defend themself, resulting in persistent distress. It is important to remember that it is often difficult to tell the extent of the hurt or upset caused to individuals who are bullied. 

Bringing this issue out into the open amongst all Moulsham High School pupils will lead to greater understanding of the nature of the problem and will encourage more people to confront and tackle bullying. Clearly understood systems, in place across the School, will ensure that every opportunity is given to empower the victims of bullying and re-educate the perpetrators 

Aims  

• To ensure the safeguarding of all pupils 
• To create a forum for the communication of concerns through various channels 
• To ensure pupils can learn in an environment where they can feel safe, secure, and free from the threat of bullying 
• To enable pupils to be assertive, empowering them to prevent or deal with issues relating to bullying 
• To utilise a range of teaching strategies that encourage co-operative work and the development of effective working situations 
• To foster an atmosphere that reflects a positive School ethos 
• To encourage pupils’ self-esteem and confidence, so that they confront and deal with issues positively, developing as active citizens of the Academy 

Encouragement to Tell  

All pupils (and parents) want bullying to stop but, in seeking help, they are often afraid of making the situation worse. It is important to develop and maintain an atmosphere in the School where pupils who are being bullied, or others who know about it, feel that they will be listened to and believed, and that the action taken will be swift but sensitive to their concerns.  

Pupils need to be aware that their ‘not telling’ protects the bully or bullies, and gives the message that they can continue, often bullying others too. 

Complicating Factors  

Bullying is part of a complex process of social interaction that is rarely 

straightforward. Although it is important to be clear about what bullying is and who is doing what in

a particular situation, some issues that may need to be recognised are: 

• Victims can also be or become bullies themselves. They can also unintentionally contribute to the problem by their own behaviour 
•  Some pupils through their own social interaction, habits or mannerisms seem more prone to the attention of bullies 

• Bullying may be unintentional (particularly amongst young children). It may be that the victim is successfully ‘covering up’ his/her distress and that the behaviour displayed would not affect the bullies in the same way if it were directed at them; they would not perceive it as bullying. They therefore continue, unaware of the effect they are having 

• There may be a separate parental agenda that is driving the issue e.g., there may be poor relationships between families, and this is being played out in school 

• The level of development/maturity of those involved may affect the success or otherwise of any attempts to solve the problem 

  *We are currently working on a new and improved reporting system *

In the meantime please contact Mr Blenkin, Deputy Headteacher, for advice and to report an incident:

e: mblenkin@moulshamhigh.org

If you find it difficult to talk to anyone at school or at home, you may wish to contact Childline for confidential advice and support:

• Freephone 0800 1111
• Online chat
• Ask Sam

If you'd like to report something other than bullying, please speak to your Standards and Progress Leader, Pastoral Manager, or Form Tutor.

Remember: this is NOT an emergency service.

There will be a delay in dealing with any information submitted out of school hours, during the weekend or during school holidays.