ANTI BULLYING POLICY
Background
This policy has been developed and implemented in consultation with the whole PGC community including gymnast representative, welfare officers, parents/carers, committee members and the coaching team including the Director of Gymnastics. It was written with reference to the Equality Act 2010.
PGC promotes values which reject bullying behaviour and promote co-operative behaviour. Tackling bullying matters. This should be read alongside our code of conduct and behavioural/ disciplinary policy.
Statement of Intent
PGC is committed to providing a supportive, caring, and safe environment in which all children should be free from the fear of being bullied. As a gymnastic club we take bullying and its impact extremely seriously. Bullying of any form is not tolerated in our club, whether carried out by a child or an adult.
Bullying behaviour is unacceptable in any form. The club has high expectations of outstanding behaviour, and we consistently challenge any behaviour that falls below this. Anyone who knows that bullying is happening is expected to tell a member of staff/ report to more senior staff.
Any child who is a victim of bullying will be dealt with in a sympathetic manner. If bullying is suspected or reported, the incident will be dealt with immediately by the member of staff informed, and then discussed with the relevant teams if deemed as ‘bullying’. A clear account of the incident will be recorded and logged. All staff will be informed so that close monitoring of the victim and bully can begin. Parents of both parties will be informed. This is line with Stage 1 or 2 of our disciplinary policy.
What is bullying?
Bullying is generally described as behaviour that is- repeated
- intended to hurt someone either physically or emotionally
- may be aimed at someone because of their race, religion, gender or sexual orientation.
- physical assault - pushing, kicking, hitting, punching or any use of violence
- Emotional - being unfriendly, excluding, tormenting, threatening behaviour
- Verbal - name calling sarcasm, spreading rumours, teasing, use of derogatory language
- cyber bullying – through social media, messaging and calls. Misuse of associated technology e.g photos and videos.
- Extortion - demanding money/goods with threats Racist - racial taunts, graffiti, gestures
- Sexual - unwanted physical contact, sexually abusive comments
- Homophobic or bi-phobic - bullying because of sexuality or perceived sexuality
- Transphobic – because of gender identity or perceived gender identity
There is considerable evidence to show that bullying has both short term and longer-term impacts on children. Bullying impacts on children’s wellbeing, can impact attendance and can become a significant barrier to learning. Bullying is associated with lower levels of engagement and achievement and if not dealt with, can lead to mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression.
PGC definition of bullying and how we aim to respond to bullying
We recognise that many children and young people will experience conflict in their relationships with other children and young people and as a club we are committed to helping children develop empathy and understanding and the skills to manage relationships in a peaceful way that does not harm others.
We understand that gymnasts and team members will argue. We accept this. They will call each other names and when both parties are guilty of this and , we may not consider this as bullying. In these instances we will aim to try and help the gymnasts resolve it amongst themselves. If this is not possible, we may decide to separate the gymnasts into different coaching groups. This may mean being moved into a group that is not best suited to the individual gymnasts’ ability and may have a detrimental impact to their training.
At PGC, our definition of bullying is:
“The repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. It can happen face to face or online”
Bullying is unacceptable. As a club we will respond promptly and effectively to any reported incidents of bullying.
In our club:
- Everybody has the right to be treated with respect.
- Everybody has the right to feel happy and safe.
- No-one deserves to be a target of bullying.
- Gymnasts who bully need to understand the impact of their behaviour and learn different ways to behave.
Preventing Bullying at PGC
We foster a clear understanding that bullying, in any form, is unacceptable. We believe that preventing bullying is the responsibility of our whole club community and when there are incidents of bullying, we will work together to deal with the situation promptly and to learn from what has happened to ensure that we reduce the risk of further bullying occurring in the future.
At PGC we do this by:
- Building a positive ethos based on respecting and celebrating all types of difference in our club.
- Creating a safe and happy environment, with consequent positive relationships that have an impact on friendships and achievements
- Having a positive ethos that all gymnasts, staff, and parents understand.
- Encourage children to speak out against bullying (if they themselves are experiencing bullying or if they witness bullying in the gym).
- Provide assurances to child that concerns have been listened to and action will be taken.
- Secure the safety of the individual experiencing bullying.
- Think about any safeguarding concern and report concerns to Coach/ Safeguarding team.
- Take actions to stop the bullying from happening again.
- Consider who else is involved and what roles they have taken.
- Work with both parties to find solutions. Identify the most effective way of preventing reoccurrence and any consequences.
- Reflect and learn from bullying episodes –consider what needs to happen next to prevent future bullying
- Raise awareness of online bullying
- Award those gymnasts who demonstrate qualities such as kindness/ being a good friend eg at PGC awards
Reporting bullying
In our club gymnasts are encouraged to talk to staff when they are unhappy or have concerns. Gymnasts in our club understand that they have a right to feel and be safe and a responsibility to support others to feel and be safe.
Gymnasts are encouraged to report bullying to:
- A trusted adult
- Their coach
- Gymnast reps for each discipline or their peers.
- Welfare officers
When gymnasts report their concerns, our staff will LISTEN and BELIEVE. We aim to involve children as far as possible in finding solutions.
Procedures for parents:
If a parent has any concerns about their child, they should speak to the coach immediately. If a parent feels unable to talk to the coach, they should contact the Head coach.
Parents should not confront the child who is bullying their child, or the child’s parents. This can complicate the situation.
The club will deal directly with all children involved and their parents directly. Parents will be kept informed.
Club’s response to bullying
As a club, we monitor and review all bullying incidents to determine any patterns or trends that may require further action.
All staff are required to report any bullying and prejudice-based incidents to the Director of Gymnastics. This should be communicated as soon as possible.
Staff will speak to the child who is being bullied and their parents to gain a full understanding of the bullying to ensure it falls under definition of bullying.
Staff will speak to both parent and gymnast and inform them of bullying behaviour as it falls within the definition of bullying.
The incident/s will be discussed as a team and a decision will be made to enforce disciplinary procedures if required (See PGC Behavioural policy)