download "Solid guidelines and agreements" review
Whole-school bullying prevention and management guidelines are essential to reducing and preventing bullying. Research suggests that schools can expect fewer bullying incidents when they:
- clearly state that bullying as an unacceptable behaviour
- develop agreed guidelines to prevent and manage bullying
- establish consistent staff responses to bullying
In schools with Yamaji students this would include establishing guidelines and practices for bullying prevention and management that are cultural security. Cultural security bullying prevention and management guidelines can only be developed in consultation with local Aboriginal community members, such as Elders and AIEOs (ATAs or AEWs) (see also Application of Coffin’s (2007) cultural security model to bullying prevention and management in an education setting (Paki, no date)).
The reflection questions below link to the National Safe Schools Framework (NSSF) Key Element Two, ‘Establishment of agreed policies, programs and procedures’ (DEST, 2003).
Reflection questions for solid guidelines and agreements
- Do your bullying prevention and management guidelines support the strengths and needs of your Aboriginal students?
- Do your bullying prevention and management guidelines take into account Aboriginal worldviews?
- Are Aboriginal staff and parents and carers invited to contribute to the development of bullying prevention and management guidelines?
- Are the bullying prevention and management guidelines and practices regularly reviewed?
- Did the process of developing the bullying guidelines include consultation and collaboration with the whole school community, including Aboriginal staff, parents and students?
- Does the school AIEO (ATA or AEW) have active involvement in school planning?
- Do your bullying prevention and management guidelines include language that is appropriate to the Aboriginal community?
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Do your bullying prevention and management guidelines include:
- whole-school common understandings about the school’s response to bullying?
- a definition that captures all forms of bullying including verbal, physical, social, psychological and cyber?
- statements of the individual and shared rights and responsibilities of students, staff, parents and caregivers in a safe and inclusive school environment?
- identification and promotion of solid behaviours?
- information for students, staff, parents and caregivers to identify and respond to reports of bullying behaviours?
- clear procedures and open communication channels for students, parents, caregivers and staff to report incidents of bullying?
- systems and strategies for reporting and monitoring of bullying incidents?
School-based guidelines
School-based guidelines (principles, regulations or procedures) are informed by government (state and federal) policy. The national policy guiding the way Australian schools respond to bullying, harassment, violence and child abuse is found in the National Safe Schools Framework.
Solid school guidelines for bullying prevention and management guidelines should:
- provide a shared agreement of bullying
- state staff responses to bullying
- outline consequences of bullying
- positively reinforce acceptable behaviour
- be linked to other systems and procedures within the school
- promote school connectedness
- develop a shared concern and responsibility for bullying prevention and management throughout the school environment
- state processes for dispute resolution
- include investigation and/or problem-solving strategies
Bullying affects teaching and non-teaching staff, students and families; community members from all these groups should be involved in the guideline making process. Schools should also address the bullying of adults in their staff code of behaviour.
A shared agreement
For whole-school guidelines to be successful there needs to be a shared interest and understanding of the vision and objectives of those guidelines. The vision of a safe and supportive school environment is defined by a code of behaviour. The code of behaviour is based on a set of principles that are understood, accepted and practised by all members of the school community. These principles become the basis for all the guidelines developed in the school.
When the whole school community is engaged in the development of this vision, and the principles are congruent with the cultural contexts and family beliefs of the members of this community, they are far more likely to feel connected to the aims of the guidelines. Guidelines should essentially be a shared agreement between all members of the school community about how they are going to achieve their vision.
Maintaining cultural security in guideline development
All members of the school community need to have the opportunity to contribute to guideline development. Aboriginal communities are diverse and are often made up of different family and language groups; it is impossible for one person to speak for everyone in a community. Consultation should be undertaken with a wide representation of the school community. Establishing a steering committee or group can be a useful forum for community members to express the visions, strengths and needs of Aboriginal students and their families. Consultation of this kind may be time consuming, but is essential for including the whole community. It is also important to maintain relationships with the parents and carers through newsletters, home visits, school assemblies and family days.
The importance of language
Guidelines need to be written in language that reflects what the school community is trying to achieve and uses language that is familiar to the families of Aboriginal students. Bullying may not be a term that is commonly used by Aboriginal students and their families and therefore may need to be defined in terms that are understood by the local community.
- It is imperative that a student is not labelled as a ’bully’. Efforts to reduce and prevent bullying should promote the message that all students are valued, and that engaging in bullying behaviour is unacceptable. Written information, such as school guidelines, should separate the bullying behaviour from the child by referring to ‘students who engage in bullying’ or ‘students who bully others’ and ‘students who are bullied’ or ‘students who are the target of bullying’.
