Anti-bullying

GSCB Business Priority 2006/07: Ensuring Agencies have anti-bullying policies and are actively working to address bullying in their work with groups of children.

Bullying is a priority that has been identified in the Gloucestershire Children and Young People's Plan and it was agreed that the GSCB should respond by including this in their Business Priorities for 2006/07.

In order to achieve this priority the GSCB will need to:

• Identify agencies that work with groups of children and young people;

• Agree a set of standards required to ensure an appropriate policy is practiced in agencies;

• Ensure these are reviewed and monitored within agencies;

• Establish whether these standards are achieved within agencies (See Questionnaire below);

• Identify weaknesses in agency policy and practice;

Standards for Anti-bullying policies for organisations working with groups of children

1. Every agency that works with groups of children and young people should have an anti-bullying policy that aids the agency in dealing with incidences of bullying.

2. The policy should be reviewed on a regular basis and its effectiveness evaluated.

3. The policy should include means by which awareness is raised for all those affected by the policy.

4. The policy should clearly explain how to respond to bullying.

5. The policy should include a strategy to tackle bullying once it is identified.

Questionnaire for organisations working with groups of children: Let us know what your organisation is doing about bullying

Bullying is a big issue for schools and other organisations working with groups of children and young people. We are all aware of the misery and the occasional tragedy that comes from young people being bullied by their peers. Thus the first phase that the GSCB will be currently involved in is asking staff who work with children, young people and their families to complete the following Questionnaire.  Could we ask you to take a couple of minutes to complete this questionnaire and return back to the GSCB office by e-mail or post.

Questionnaire (Word 59KB)

The GSCB is particularly interested in establishing how far community and voluntary groups and District Councils have come in addressing the issue of bullying in a formal way throughout Gloucestershire.

Useful Bullying Links

Anti-bullying accreditation scheme (Finding ways of tackling bullying is a priority of the Gloucestershire Children and Young People's Plan and Gloucestershire has launched in November 06 an accreditation scheme to help schools deal successfully with bullying and to share good practice).

Beating the bullies: Press Release

Gloucestershire Healthy Schools Partnership: Anti-bullying Guidelines