Information sheet
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Whole school community |
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Knowing when bullying is happening, acting to stop it and supporting those involved |
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Handle potentially serious incidents proactively and create opportunities for the whole school community to respond effectively to carer concerns |
There are many instances where school communities have effectively and collaboratively responded to bullying and harassment and reduced the incidence of violence in and beyond the school grounds. This has been achieved by enlisting the support of diverse groups in a collective response through a range of strategies — including the maintenance of welcoming environments, home visits by parents and teachers, network and telephone trees, meetings and social gatherings in community and school settings and a host of other informal strategies.
The development and maintenance of open, honest communication provide the
essential foundation for accessing the collective support of the whole school
community when incidents occur. Schools need to continually reaffirm that
the participation of carers, students, staff and other community members is
legitimate and valued.
A rural primary school uses the TEAM motto – Together Everybody Achieves More – for the way the school community approaches many issues including bullying. Students identified as needing social or learning support are assisted by a school community team usually consisting of the principal, carer, teacher, support teacher and guidance officer or counsellor — and the student (if they feel comfortable). These people work together as equal partners to provide support for the student, based on a clear understanding of the issues impacting on the young person. Many of these solutions focus on flexibility to meet the needs of individual students within the system and to ensure that the school is not perpetuating the problem.
This relatively simple TEAM process has encouraged a highly supportive school environment and received positive feedback from the community. Families that have previously felt alienated and bullied by the schooling system are accepted by the school as responsible team members who have things to tell about their children. People leave the meetings feeling heard, valued and actively engaged in shared goals.
