Bullying Prevention and Management Policy

Bullying Prevention and Management Policy

Contacts
PP - Year 6
Mr Noel Nethery
Head of Junior School
noel.nethery@tgs.qld.edu.au
47253588
Year 7
Ms Karyn Kybus
karyn.kybus@tgs.qld.edu.au
4722 4983
Year 8
Mr Adrian Moran
adrian.moran@tgs.qld.edu.au
4722 4983
Year 9
Mr Freddie Wood
freddie.wood@tgs.qld.edu.au
4722 4983
Year 10
Mrs Lizzii Waston
lizzii.watson@tgs.qld.edu.au
4722 4987
Year 11
Ms Yvonne West
yvonne.west@tgs.qld.edu.au
4722 4987
Year 12
Mrs Susie Ahern
Head of Senior School and Positive Education
susan.ahern@tgs.qld.edu.au
4722 4947
School Psychologist
Ms Charmain Newman
counsellor@tgs.qld.edu.au
4722 4903
Students can also access a secure online bullying reporting option via Moodle.
Useful Links
Friendly Schools and Families
An evidence based bullying reduction programme - www.friendlyschools.com.au
Kids Matter
Aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of children - www.kidsmatter.edu.au
Bullying - No Way!
www.bullyingnoway.gov.au
Alannah and Madeline Foundation
www.amf.org.au
North Ward Campus
Year 7 to Year 12
45 Paxton Street
NORTH WARD QLD 4810
Telephone: (07) 4722 4900
Email: tgs@tgs.qld.edu.au
Townsville Grammar School
Annandale Campus
Pre-Prep to Year 6
1 Brazier Drive
ANNANDALE QLD 4814
Telephone: (07) 4725 3588
Web: www.tgs.qld.edu.au
Bullying Prevention and
Management Policy
Rationale
Prevention and Management of Bullying
Townsville Grammar School is committed to providing a safe and supportive school environment based
on the values of mutual respect and acceptance of difference.
Townsville Grammar School Bullying Prevention and Management has two aspects - Prevention and
Management.
Therefore, we do not tolerate bullying or harassment in any form.
We aim to develop and maintain a setting in which everyone feels valued and respected and where
individual differences are appreciated, understood and accepted.
Prevention strategies assist students to develop positive relationships and to become resilient through
explicit Positive Education classes and Pastoral Care initiatives. Reports of bullying are taken seriously
and staff are expected to act on reported incidents of bullying.
Definition of Bullying
The most frequently cited definition of bullying is “the repeated oppression, psychological or physical
harassment, of a less powerful person by a more powerful person or group of persons” (Rigby, 1996).
Power
Students who bully may acquire power through various means:

Physical size and strength;

Status within a peer group; and

Recruitment within the peer group so as to exclude others.
Frequency
Bullying is not a random act. It is characterised by it’s repetitive nature. As it is repetitive, students who
are bullied not only need to survive the humiliation of the attack itself but live in constant fear of its
recurrence.
Intent to harm
Bullies usually deny any intent to harm others and may not always be fully conscious of the harm they
cause. Causing physical and emotional harm, however, is usually a deliberate act. It puts the student
who is bullied in a position of oppression by the student who bullies.
Prevention strategies include:






Positive Education (P - 12)
Bullying Awareness Week (P - 12)
Friendly Schools and Families (P - 6)
KidsMatter (P - 6)
Friendly Kids, Friendly Classrooms (P - 6)
TGS Online Bullying Reporting System
Management strategies that Include the ‘Method of Shared Concern’ and ‘Restorative Practices’
approach.
Our Management strategies aim to:






Empower the victim;
Address the cause of harm;
Foster empathy and compassion for the victim;
Look at the impact of the harm on the victim;
Investigate ways to make amends; and
Minimise the risk of future harm.
Types of Bullying
Parent Resources
Annandale and North Ward Libraries have parent/teacher and student resources on the topic of
bullying. Samples include:

Friendly Families - A parents guide to dealing with and preventing bullying.

Shared Responsibility - Beating bullying in Australian schools.

Jay McGraw’s Life Strategies for Dealing with Bullies

Bully Blocking - Six secrets to help children deal with teasing and bullying.

Flourish - A visionary new understanding of happiness and wellbeing.

The Seven Day Bully Buster

Stick up for Yourself - Kid’s guide to personal power and self-esteem.

The Kid’s Guide to Working Out Conflicts - How to keep cool, stay safe and get along.