Schools across the country have been invited to 'take a stand' against bullying and violence next Friday 17 March 2017.
According to the website, The National Day of Action (NDA) is calling on schools to ask their students 'what's your anti-bullying message?' .
Schools that register for the National Day of Action will receive access to free printed resources such as student pocket cards and parent information cards. These materials provide tips and advice when dealing with bullying and help promote positive conversations about 'taking a stand together' against bullying and violence.
A report in the Sydney Morning Herald in 2016 highlighted research conducted by the University of South Australia which revealed that the number of Australian school-aged children experiencing bullying dropped by almost 25% between 2007 and 2015. However, Adjunct Professor Ken Rigby, a co-author of the SA report (Report), attributed the drop to teachers having positive conversations with their students about bullying. However he said that “bullying still remained ‘unacceptably high’ and more needed to be done.”
The Report found that students were most likely to be bullied in the classroom, corridors and the playground and, sadly, due most likely to their appearance, for being overweight, looking ‘gay’ or being disabled. Also of concern was the fact that although each of the participating schools had anti-bullying policies, only 50% of the students were aware of them.
School Governance has written many articles about bullying, including cyber-bullying, that can threaten the health and safety of students. We’ve also written about the various tools and options that may assist schools to educate their students on bullying and how to help students cope with the stress and anxiety that may result from the use of social media.
However, what is clear from the Report is that the issue is not that we have published many articles regarding bullying and anti-bullying strategies, or that most schools have anti-bullying policies, but that 50% of the children surveyed were not aware of the anti-bullying policy in their school.
This is a cultural issue and it is concerning that schools, where teachers are working very hard to reduce the incidents of bullying, are unaware that the message that needs to be known by their students is simply not getting through. If, as the Sydney Morning Herald noted, there has been a drop from 27% to 20% of students in schools who are now reporting bullying, how much more would that figure drop if all students were aware of the school anti-bullying policy?
Having all of the policies and procedures right is valueless unless you know that they are known, understood and are put to use as intended. This is where your culture is so important. Dr Alec O’Connell has stated; “Cultural reform and/or reinforcement may well be the most difficult task facing a leader and their community. In challenging times, it is a non-negotiable imperative that we must be able to clearly articulate our culture.”
If the question is ‘What’s your anti-bullying message?’, perhaps the answer is that everyone at your school knows your policy and that every child is empowered to speak to their teachers about bullying and bullying incidents, knowing that they will be heard and supported.
Schools are encouraged to visit the ‘Bullying. No Way!’ website for more information and resources.