Towards the end of term 2, we conducted the second of our Bully Audits for 2023 with all year 3-6 students. This audit showed that around 75% of our students understood what bullying is and what it isn’t. We trust that our recent Bully Zero workshops will have helped to build student understanding that:
Bullying is... an ongoing and deliberate misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that intends to cause physical, social and/or psychological harm. It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power, or perceived power, over one or more persons who feel unable to stop it from happening.
It involves a misuse of power in a relationship
Conflict or fights between equals are not defined as bullying.
It is ongoing and repeated
One incident of misbehaviour is not defined as bullying.
It involves behaviours that can cause harm
Approximately 90% students understand that Cyberbullying is any bullying that occurs online.
Cyberbullying includes:
• abusive texts and emails
• hurtful messages, videos and images, including images that have been changed
• sharing personal images and videos without consent
• pretending to be someone else online to be hurtful.
Students seeking support
37 students indicated that they required adult support in relation to bullying or something else. Teachers have followed up individually with each of these students since the audit.
- One student was having some issues online while at home and communication has occurred with parents
- Ten students were struggling with making and maintaining friendships and teachers are working with students to support them with these skills
- Three students felt unsafe for no particular reason or were worried about their parents. Teachers have advised parents and working on strategies with students
- Four students were still concerned about once-off incidents that had occurred and been followed up by teachers.
- Twelve students reported that there had been incidents of bullying previously (last term or last year) but these had stopped now.
- Two students were seeking help about learning related issues
- One student couldn’t remember what they needed support with
- Four students were dealing with bullying issues that have been followed up and are being actively monitored by teachers.
Suggestions for improvement
Students gave some interesting suggestions about how we can make Woodend an even better school. Suggestions for improving the school include:
- Maybe you could make calm areas for people to go to at playtime if they’re mad
- If a little kid is being bullied by their friends there could be a group of older kids who are happy to hangout with them at recess and lunch
- Make the class rooms a bit smaller by make less people in the class rooms
- More nude food days
- Learn about different cultures and old wives-tales, urban legends and stuff like that
- A piece of paper when you come in from recess or lunch and you can write if something bad happened like bullying
- Maybe do a check in with all the students separately once or twice a week
- The only way to make the school a better place is to be nice to others
- I think we should do more hands on activities. Including, Art, and do maths outside and stuff like that. Instead of doing stuff inside, do it outside instead
- Help kids to understand that it is not ok to hurt or bully anyone and that it can really hurt heir feelings
- To make sure all students know our school values and our golden rule.
- Make areas for different people in different years
- We need at least one more yard duty in the middle playground so then there would be one for the playground and one for the castle area
- Having a group for students who are exceeding expectations.
- To make kid’s to not say swear words
- Give a better school bell
- Talk about child protection week
- More awareness around bullying
- All do something nice like hold the door open and it will go a long way.
- I don’t have any suggestions for our school. I think it’s perfect
- I think our school is amazing
Some of these suggestions warrant further investigation and our wellbeing committee will look more closely at these early in 2024.
If you require support for your child in relation to friendships, bullying or any wellbeing issues, please make contact with your child’s teacher in the first instance. Jane-Ann Natar is also available at the school to support families with issues related to wellbeing.